In Case Of Murder
by nurzubesuch
Summary: Lassiter just grinned and shook his head. "Some day you will have to face a situation, where you can't play around." he foretold Shawn. "On that day, reality is going to come down on you and you will have to grow up."  Whump. R&R  -completely overworked-
1. Time For Fun

**Time for fun**

A big hand shot out of the cell, trying to grab but only went through thin air. The big guy behind the bars gritted his teeth and grumbled angry. His name was Danilo Alvarez and god knew this wasn´t the first time he saw a cell from the inside. But this time it was different. This time he was even mocked for being here, by this thin and skinny little pig. He tried again to grab him but was too slow. Just like the last ten or twenty times he tried to get this annoying little turd, that was hopping and laughing in front of him, like a monkey on drugs. If he wouldn´t have been in this cell, the monkey would be dead by now and he knew that. That made it even worse and him much more angry. Especially since he wouldn´t be in this cell if it wouldn´t be for him. This asshole with the babyface and his damn stiffen partner, who had actually squeaked like a baby as long as he had been after them. If the cops hadn´t arrived, he would have smashed their heads with his bare fists. He still would love to. If these damn bars wouldn´t be in the way.

„What is it, Danny Phantom?" the white guy laughed. „Sunlight weakened you?"

„Danny Phantom is no vampire, Shawn." the squeaker told him and managed it for the first time in what seemed like an hour to distract babyface from his amusement.

„Gus." he said. „That was just a joke. You know, something you do, to tease people."

„Oh, you mean the stuff I have to hear from you all day long?" was the not amused answer. „By the way, its already two p.m. and I have an appointment. So could we just get our money and leave?"

„Gus, don´t be such a boring slow-poke. I just try to have some fun."

„Yeah, and I try to have some time. To do my real job, for what I get really paid. Regularly. Not only after I almost got myself killed. Running along the beach with a cold-blooded murderer coming after me."

„Gus. That guy didn´t kill anyone." Shawn reminded him. „He just faked some checks."

„International checks." the man in the cell corrected him.

„You see?"

„I don´t care if he killed already or not." Gus stated. „He would have, if he had the chance."

„Bet your ass I would have." the man affirmed.

Gus gave his friend a look as if to say: You see? „Sorry, Shawn." he said. „No time for fun."

With that he spun around to leave and ran right into the chief of police, who had happened to just appear in the door that very moment. The two of them stumbled and he shoved her backwards into one of the officers who were with her. Gus jumped back, a shocked look on his face.

„Oh, chief, I´m so sorry." he cried. „I didn´t see you coming."

„Mr. Guster." chief Vick greeted a little shaken after she managed it to stand straight again. „What are you two doing here?" she demanded to know. „I expected you in my office."

„And we were already on our way there." Shawn told her before Gus had a chance to say something. „We just stopped by down here, to celebrate our last victory."

The man in the cell tried to grab him one last time and he skipped back just in time to avoid him.

„Well, I hope you celebrated enough." the chief said. „Cause Mr. Alvarez here will leave us now."

Shawn cocked his head in surprise. „Leave us?" he repeated worried. „Why would you …?"

„Don´t worry." chief Vick said. „We don´t let him go. No need for you to change your name, Mr. Spencer."

„He will be transfered to a state prison." one of the two men who had waited in the background until now explained. He took a wallet out of the inner pocket of his suit and showed them his credentials. They read that he was an actual member of the FBI. His name was Agent Douglas Johnson. Shawn guessed that Agent was not his real first name. Probably just an alias to confuse people. He grinned but made himself look serious again.

„We have a reason to believe that his activities might have bigger outcomes on national financials than we thought." agent Johnson said. „There are some unsolved cases of faked checks, we want to ask him about."

„Wow." Gus exhaled impressed.

„I don´t know nothing." Danilo Alvarez said.

„We will see." agent Johnson answered and put his wallet back into his pocket.

Shawn just laughed. „That was just bad grammar, wasn´t it?" he said and Gus agreed.

The officer opened the cell and the two of them skipped back to be on the safe side. Alvarez was handcuffed and led out of the cell. He seemed cooperative until he passed Shawn and Gus. In that moment he made a sudden move as if he wanted to just run them down or smash them into the wall. They pressed their backs into the wall while the police officers grabbed Danilo Alvarez´ shoulders and forced him out of the door.

„Nice try, pal!" Shawn yelled after him and immediately got kicked by Gus.

„What?" he asked.

„Stop it." his friend demanded. „I had enough excitement for a week."

„Really?" Shawn asked. „Pity. I just started to enjoy myself."

„Mr. Spencer, Mr. Guster." chief Vick addressed them again. „That was good work from both of you. If you are done enjoying yourself, I expect you in my office to collect your check. Gentlemen."

With that she turned around and left. Gus didn´t wait for Shawn to make another joke but followed her upstairs with a constant distance of one meter behind her. Shawn wondered for a moment how he was able to keep this distance so accurately all the time. Then he followed them himself. When he reached the office, he found the FBI guy and his men standing with the desk sergent, signing some papers, probably to make the whole transfer thing complete. Alvarez noticed him and shot him a deadly gaze. Shawn just grinned. He looked over to chief Vick´s office where she handed Gus the check and then decided that he could afford one more joke, before they would leave for today.

He passed the officers at the reception as if he would just walk by to leave, always aware of the peeking gaze of Alvarez that followed him. When he reached the next pillar, he hid behind it and took some balls of crumpled aluminium foil out of his pocket. Something he always had with him, just in case. You never knew when you could need them. Now it finally sold out. He peeked around the pillar and threw the first one at Alvarez. He missed but the ball passed Alvarez ear just about an inch and made him look around. Shawn hid again, trying not to laugh out loud. When he was sure, Alvarez didn´t look anymore, he tried again. This time he hit. But the ball jumped off the bad guys head and at agent Johnson´s shoulder. They both turned around and Shawn hid again behind the pillar. He could hear how Alvarez tried to get free to get the funny guy who was mocking him, but was hold by the officers.

Shawn giggled behind his hand and prepared for his last shot. He waited until Johnson was done with his papers and led the way to the door, to bring Danilo Alvarez out. When they passed his pillar he circled it, so he wouldn´t be seen. Then he wound up to throw his last ball after Alvarez. His hand was caught by another one, before the ball could even leave it. Shawn looked up into an even and grim looking face with two peeking blue eyes that stared down at him. He felt caught and started to grin as a reaction of self defence.

„Hi, Lassie." he greeted the head detective.

„Spencer." was the not friendly answer. Shawn felt how iron fingers opened his fist and then took the silver ball away from him. „When will you ever grow up?" Lassiter asked and threw the ball into the bin.

„As soon as I´m finding Neverland?" Shawn suggested a possibility.

Lassiter just rolled his eyes and passed him. „You may look for that place if you like." he said. „But do it somewhere else. In the meantime, I would thank you, if you would stop disturbing the peace in this office."

„Oh, really? You would?" Shawn asked playing excited. „How would you thank me? With a pony? Oh, please, let it be a pony. Or a little puppy dog. Or maybe both." He grabbed two folders out of the shelf behind Lassiter´s desk to simulate the animals. He said: „We could put them over each other and together with a cat and a rooster they could play the Town Musicians of …"

„Give that back." Lassiter hissed and took the folders from him to put them back into his shelf.

„I´m sorry. You´re right." Shawn admitted. „It was a donkey, not a horse. But essentially no one would notice the difference."

Gus appeared at Shawn´s side, the check chief Vick had given him in his hand. „What´s going on here?" he asked confused.

Instead of answering the question, Lassiter faced Shawn as if he wanted to threat him. „When will you ever learn that police work is no game, Spencer?" he asked.

„Maybe on that certain day in the near future when we finally have the donkey, the dog, the cat and the rooster all together in one place." Shawn answered in the same serious tone. „Give it a try, detective."

Lassiter just grinned and shook his head. „Some day you will have to face a situation, where you can´t play around." he foretold Shawn. „On that day, reality is going to come down on you and you will have to grow up."

„I see." Shawn answered still in character for that interrogation-like stage. „But the question is … will there be a donkey?"

Lassiter shook his head and decided not to try any longer. He turned around and walked away to get himself a coffee. Shawn just watched him go and grinned. Gus stepped to his side, still confused about what he just heard. „What donkey?" he wanted to know.

„The donkey from the Four Town Musicians." Shawn explained. „Don´t you know Brothers Grimm?"

„Of course I do." Gus assured. „But you know, Lassiter is right. You´re enjoying this stuff far too much. The guy could have killed us."

„But only before he was arrested. Gus, we are in a police station now. Do you really think, we are in danger here? Surrounded by dozens of cops?"

„That´s not the point, Shawn." Gus objected. „Its about precaution. This guy will come out one day. He only got four years. You wouldn´t want a guy like that to remember you as the guy who mocked him when he got in."

„You threw your pineapple juice at him." Shawn recalled.

„That was self defence, because he aimed at me with that shellfish at the beach. These things are hard."

„You are right." Shawn said serious. „You are lucky you lived."

„Don´t laugh at this Shawn." Gus replied. „These things have sharp edges sometimes. Anyway. I don´t want to be remembered by that guy, when he comes out of prison to search revenge."

In that very moment a shot from outside the front door made them halt in the middle of a step. One second went by in which everybody was just listening. Then someone yelled sniper and all hell broke loose. Shawn and Gus only knew that suddenly someone passed them and rushed out of the door. It was Lassiter. He had pulled his gun, ready to fire at whoever had shot outside. Shawn gave Gus a clap with the back of his hand and they hurried after him to the door. Gus stopped Shawn from running out though.

„What?" Shawn wanted to know.

„Didn´t you hear what they said? There´s a sniper out there."

Shawn accepted that and decided that just peeking out of the door would be sufficient. The police officers were aiming around without really knowing where. Some of them surrounded a person lying on the ground. It was Danilo Alvarez. Agent Johnson checked his pulse and then shook his head. There was a puddle of blood beneath Alvarez, obviously from the hole in his chest. Shawn looked up just in time to spot the window that was closed in the building on the other side of the street and the figure that vanished behind the curtains.

Another person appeared behind them. It was Juliet. She had pulled her gun as well.

„Spread out!" Lassiter yelled on the street. „Search the perimeter. The shooter has to be close."

„Stay here." Juliet advised Shawn and Gus and went out.

Shawn raised his hand to his head and cried out loud as if in shock. He trembled forward until he almost tripped down the stairs. Again he cried out. The officers that were not farther away than ten meters turned around and looked at him.

„I see the shooter!" Shawn cried.

„Sniper." Gus corrected.

„The sniper. He is on the other side." He pointed ahead and then opened his eyes. „There." he said. „That building."

„Send someone to the roof." Lassiter ordered over his shoulder.

„No, not the roof." Shawn corrected and closed his eyes again. „Third floor. The second appartement on the right side. I see pink curtains. Aaahh. He is on the run. You must hurry."

„All right." Lassiter reluctantly agreed. „You heard it." he ordered the men around him and literally chased them over the street.

Shawn wanted to step down the stairs but Gus tried to hold him back.

„Dude." Shawn said. „There is no shooter anymore."

„Are you sure about that?" Gus asked trowing a worried look around.

Shawn just gave him a look and went down the stairs to where the dead criminal lay. Gus finally followed him. His friend hadn´t went out if he wasn´t sure it was safe.

„Why should someone want to shoot Alvarez?" he asked quietly when he reached Shawn.

Shawn didn´t answer immediately. He was busy examining the dead guy with his eyes. Something caught his eye when he got a glimpse at the neck of the man. There was a tattoo he hadn´t noticed before. It was a picture of a rolled snake. The FBI agent turned the body around and the picture was out of his sight. Instead he saw the very accurate wound in the middle of the man´s chest, right where the heart was located. That shooter undoubtedly had been a professional.

Shawn straightened again and turned to Gus. „I have no idea." he finally answered his question. „But one thing´s for sure. That guy won´t come back for us, when he is out of prison."


	2. Now, Is The Fun Over?

**Now is the fun over or does it just start?**

„I still don´t get it." Shawn stated. He sat behind his desk in the Psych office, leaned back in his chair, his feet on the table and a writing pad in his lab. His pen was moving constantly since he had sat down and didn´t even stop now, that he was talking and even really thinking about what Gus just said about the events of yesterday afternoon. „Why doesn´t chief Vick want us to get into the case?" he wondered. „It doesn´t make sense."

„They decided to hand over the investigation to the Federal Bureau." Gus explained for the third or forth time in the last half hour. „That´s an FBI-case now, Shawn."

„Why?" was all Shawn replied.

Gus rolled his eyes. „The man was shot in their custody." he tried again to get through to the very well hidden reasonable part of Shawn´s personality.

„He wasn´t in their custody yet." Shawn objected.

„They signed the papers."

„Oh, come on, Gus." Shawn cried and stopped sketching for a second. „They were barely out of the departments door. That is still our case. I mean we caught the guy in in the first place. Aren´t you at least a bit curious?"

„No, I´m not, Shawn. That man was shot for a reason. When somebody shoots a guy right before he can get transfered to be questioned, they don´t want him to talk. There might be something behind it, we don´t wanna mess with. Maybe even the mafia. They are professionals."

„Professionals?" Shawn repeated with a slight grin. He took his pen again. „What is that supposte to mean?"

„They found exactly one thing in the appartement, you sent the police to." Gus answered.

„A dead guy." Shawn recalled with a shrug.

„Right. The owner of that appartement. The shooter killed him to get access to his window. He doesn´t care about killing innocent people. Furthermore, the police didn´t find any bullets. That means he took them with him. That´s something only a professional killer does. I know that from Navy-CIS."

„Dude." Shawn exclaimed. „That´s our entrance into the real big stuff. We gonna solve a feather … whatever case."

„Federal." Gus corrected. „And no, we won´t. Chief Vick cannot hire us because its not her case." He put on a victorious grin. „Pity." he said. When the answer he expected didn´t come, he frowned. „What are you sketching there?" he wanted to know.

Shawn quickly added the last few details and then turned the pad around. It was a drawing of a rolled snake, which´s head and tail stood upright as if to form an O. „What kind of snake is this?" Shawn wanted to know. „Is it a cobra or what?"

„Its a rattlesnake." Gus told him. „Why are you sketching reptiles?"

„Dude, you should see my alligators." Shawn replied. „But seriously. That dead guy had a tattoo like this on his neck." he then explained.

„And?"

„I already googled it and there is no tattoo parlor in Santa Barbara that offers tattoos like this." Shawn explained.

„There is no tattoo parlor that offers snake tattoos?" Gus asked doubting.

„Of course they do. But not this one. Its a very special one, you see?" He hold up his sketch again to show him. „The way that snake is rolled up." He followed the O-form Gus had already noticed with his fingers. „And look at its head. It has a mark at the forehead that looks exactly like the snake itself in miniature."

„You made this up." Gus claimed.

„No, I didn´t." Shawn objected insulted. „I sketched exactly what I saw. Dude. That tattoo is something very specific. I don´t think that its carrier would have been satisfied with less than that. I think he went into a special parlor with a special tattooer."

„Might be." Gus admitted with a shrug. „But why do you bother? You won´t get the case."

„I threw cannon balls at this guy." Shawn recalled anxiously. „I am responsible for his case."

„You are insane." Gus stated. „I have better things to do."

„All right. Then I guess I´ll have to go to those tattoo parlors all by myself."

„Have fun." Gus said demonstratively uninterested.

„I´ll go into every one of them and I´ll ask them if they take special requests when it comes about the tattoos they make. This way I´ll find the place where he got it from."

„And what are you going to say?" Gus asked. „That you wanna tattoo?"

„Why not?"

Gus just laughed. „You won´t convince anyone that you really wanna tattoo, Shawn." he said.

„Ah, yeah?" Shawn replied. „Why not?"

„Because you won´t be able to even stand the idea of a needle coming close to you, not to mention the process of it sticking into your skin. You would scream your ass off."

„Oh, listen who is talking." Shawn laughed and addressed a not existing audience around them before turning back to Gus. „You wouldn´t let a needle like this penetrating your precious skin either." he fired back.

„I wouldn´t?"

„No, you wouldn´t."

Gus didn´t give another response. He just looked into the distance, a mischievous smile on his lips. Shawn was confused. He frowned.

„What is that?" he asked. „What does that mischievous grin of yours mean? Gus?" In that moment it just hit him and one could tell that it was like the famous fist into the face. „Oh, my god" he cried. „Tell me you don´t have one! You don´t have a tattoo! Gus?"

„I have." Gus answered proudly grinning.

„Jeez." Shawn bowed as if he was in pain. A second later he stood straight again, a demanding look on his face. „Where is it?" he demanded to know. „What is it? Since when … ? Gosh! I don´t believe that you never told me."

„There are a lot of things you dunno about me, Shawn." Gus said, still fixating that ominous point in the distance. „I´m a man of many mysteries."

„More of miseries." Shawn replied. „Where is it?"

„Somewhere you´ll never see it."

„God." Shawn shivered when he got images in his head he didn´t want there. „How did this happen?" he asked to change his perception. „Wait. Was that about the same time when you were in Marzipan?"

„Mazatlan, Shawn. And no. Myra had nothing to do with it. It happened on my nineteenth birthday party."

„On your nineteenth birthday? Dude, I was with you that night!"

„Yes, and you went off with the service girl that worked in the bar we were in around eleven o´clock." Gus recalled.

„Right." Shawn now remembered.

„After that I had some more drinks with her colleague and then my memory passed out. I only know that I woke up the next morning and had a picture of a lamp on my …" He stopped himself just in time.

„Where?" Shawn probed.

„I won´t say it." Gus remained stubborn.

„Oh, come on Gus." Shawn begged. „You can´t stop now. Tell me where it is."

„No."

„Wait. Did you say a picture of a lamb?"

„No. A lamp." Gus corrected. „A reading lamp to be exact."

Shawn was puzzled. „That … is ridiculous." he stated. „Why would anyone want a tattoo of a lamp on his … where ever it is."

„I don´t know, Shawn. I always guessed she wanted to tell me something with it. But I never figured it out."

„What did you never figure out?" a third voice suddenly chipped in. The two of them turned around to the door to see Henry enter the office.

„Dad?" Shawn addressed him surprised. „What are you doing here?"

„Just brought you your collection of juice tubs you wanted so badly." Henry explained putting a box onto the table. „I thought you would probably need a month to come over to my house to get them yourself, so I stopped by and brought it. That way I have it off my kitchen table."

„Oh, yes." Shawn exclaimed excited and rushed over to investigate the box. „Here they are."

„What is that again?" Gus wanted to know.

Shawn got some juice tubs out of the box. The kind of tubs you got from vending machines only much more colorful. He lined them up at the edge of his desk until he found a special one and hold it up to show Gus. It had a design like a pineapple. „A real classic." Shawn said proudly. „Nothing better."

„So what were you just chatting about?" Henry asked sitting on the edge of Gus´ desk.

„Nothing." Gus dismissed the subject. „Really."

„Only that Gus has a tattoo he never told me about." Shawn told.

„Really?" Henry asked with a grin.

„Yeah." Gus admitted. „But that´s really not worth talking about."

Henry chuckled quietly and shook his head. While Shawn was still busy rediscovering his collection of tubs, he swept the interior of the office with his eyes. It was a mess as always but before he could open his mouth to tell them, he spotted something that lay on Shawn´s desk. It was a sketch of a snake that looked awfully familiar. He walked over to the desk and picked the pad up to have a better look at it. He better had not.

„What is that?" he wanted to know and showed his son the drawing.

„Oh, that´s mine." Shawn said matter of factly. „I know its very raw but wait until you see it in oil, five by tree. Then you´ll love it."

„Where did you see that?" Henry skipped the silly joke.

Shawn frowned. „Ah right, you had your free day today." he remembered. „Man, you really missed something."

„I heard about the guy that got shot." Henry replied. „You´re telling me this has to do with it?"

„Its from the case we are working on." Shawn nodded. „No, its not." Gus objected again. „Its a federal case."

„Gus, I already told you …"

„So did I." Gus didn´t let him talk. „And I hope, I made myself clear."

„Fine." Shawn threw up his hands. „Go ahead. You don´t need to come with me. I go through the tattoo parlors alone. And I´ll not only find the one who made this, I´ll also come back with a tattoo of my own. And it will be a better one than a reading lamp."

„What?" Gus teased him with a grin. „A chandelier?"

„Shawn, this time you should listen to Gus." Henry spoke up again. „Let this thing go. Messing in an FBI-case is no good."

„You were not on duty today, so its not your call to hire or fire me." Shawn stated. „And this is no FBI-case anyway." he added stubbornly facing Gus.

„Yes, it is." Gus objected back even more stubbornly.

„All right." Shawn finally admitted. „Maybe it is. But think of it. If I can help the FBI solve one of their cases, what do think will happen after that?"

„Nothing." Gus answered without hesitation. „Just like last time."

Shawn waved the old story away with an angry gesture. „That was different. The guy just didn´t like us. But this Johnson guy is all right. As soon as he sees how good we are, we might get cases from them constantly then. We could become a …"

„Shawn, stop it!" Henry silenced his overactive son. „This is not gonna happen."

„How do you want to know?" Shawn asked.

Henry didn´t answer. He shook his head as if he would prefer to avoid the whole subject. „Just let this one go." he said. „Its no use, believe me." As if to affirm that, he took the paper with the sketch off the pad.

„Wow, wow, what are you doing?" Shawn cried.

„I throw this away." Henry answered matter of factly. „You won´t need it any longer."

„Wait, I wasn´t in the tattoo parlors yet." Shawn objected. „I wanted to show that around. It took me an hour to draw that."

„Spare that." Henry said. „You won´t find any parlor that makes it. Not this one."

„How do you know?" Shawn asked, now really getting suspicious.

Henry didn´t answer.

„Wait a minute." Shawn demanded. „Do you know that picture?" he asked. When he still got no answer, he just knew he was right. „You do. Where do you know it from?"

„I don´t know it." Henry claimed far too late.

„Yes, you do." Shawn insisted. „You did this thing with your head. You always do that, when you see something you know and … and …"

„And? And what?" Henry probed. „Hm? I do something with my head?"

„Yeah, you do. And you interrupted me. I was about to say, you used to do that when you remember something bad." Shawn looked at his father. „What happened?" he wanted to know. „What´s the matter with that tattoo?"

Henry hesitated. „I once arrested someone who had this tattoo." he finally admitted but very reluctantly. „Its kind of a gang tattoo." he explained still trying to avoid the whole theme. „And these guys are not funny, Shawn. Believe me, you don´t wanna piss them off, so do me a favour and stay away from this case."

„Dad." said Shawn and lay his head askew. „Come on, you used to say that every second case I got. Did this ever work before?"

„This is different, Shawn." Henry was suddenly on the edge. „I mean it. Back off. I do it officially as soon as I´m back in the office tomorrow."

„You are still on vacation." Shawn reminded him confused.

„Not any more." Henry replied. „I don´t need it anyway. Karen made me take it. But obviously its not a good idea to stay away from work too long."

Shawn was disturbed. He wanted to say something but Henry didn´t give him a chance and walked off without another word. He took the drawing with him.

Gus stepped to Shawn´s side and together they watched him go.

„Wow." Gus exclaimed. „That was odd."

„Indeed." was all Shawn managed to reply. „It was."

...

It was two p.m. when Henry got home. The first thing he did was locking his door after he double checked that no one was paying attention to him and his house. Then he went straight into the kitchen and picked up his phone. He didn´t need to look into his book for the number he dialed. He had it memorized by heart, twenty-fife years ago. Some things just never evaded you, no matter how hard you tried. This was one of them. It rang two times. Three times. At the forth ring someone answered. A voice Henry had hoped to never have to hear it again in his life. But unfortunately now he had no choice.

„Who is that?" the man on the other end wanted to know.

„Adam, its me." Henry said and immediately felt the urge to hang up and call the phone company to get himself a new number. „Its Henry." he finished his unwillingly introduction.

There was a tensing silence in the line that answered him for at least thirty seconds. If this had been a usual call, Henry would have wondered if the connection was still standing. But this was no usual call. It was far from it. He heard noises on the other end, that told him that his partner had just closed a door behind himself, probably the same way he had done it before, to avoid curious listeners.

„Henry." his man finally hissed.

„Yes, Ad, its me." he affirmed.

„Are you out of your mind to call me?" Adam hissed. „We had an agreement, remember? I don´t exist any longer. Only talking to you could kill me. And you too for that matter."

Henry sighed. „I know." he said. „And believe me, I wouldn´t have called you if I had a choice."

„What is it?" Adam demanded to know. „This better be good."

„Its far from good, Ad." Henry replied.

„What is it?" Now he sounded worried.

Henry hesitated one more moment. He wiped his hand over his face. Then he finally brought himself to say: „Its the Rattlesnake, Ad. I … I think they are back."

Again he got silence for an answer, but he didn´t need to see him to know, that Adam just got pale like a fish. Finally he said: „That´s impossible."

„Believe it." Henry assured him. „I saw their sign. My son was there when one of their men got shot in front of the police station. The police station, Ad."

„Your son? He must have been mistaken."

„Believe me, I wish he was." Henry said looking down at the drawing he had taken from Shawn´s office. „But there is one thing you could never say about my boy and that is that he would miss a detail. The tattoo he saw was the rattlesnake. I look at it right now. Its exactly the same. Even the little snake on the head."

„Henry." Ad whispered after another pause of silence. „It is impossible that it is the Brotherhood. They are dead. All of them. We saw them die."

„I know, I know. I was there." Henry agreed and wiped his face again. He suddenly sweated much harder than he would under different circumstances. „But maybe … I don´t know. Maybe one of them survived nevertheless."

„The house burned down to the ground." Ad reminded him. „There were six bodies found. The whole brotherhood. No one survived that night, Henry. There is no rattlesnake brotherhood anymore."

„Are you sure about that?" Henry asked. „This man was shot before he could talk to the FBI about something. That was a professional. What does that tell you?"

Another minute of silence. This time Henry was not so sure anymore if the connection was still standing.

„Are you still there?" he asked.

„I get back to you." Adam said eventually.

„Ad."

„I said: I get back to you." Ad repeated and then hung up. Henry looked at the phone in his hand for at least a minute before he hung up himself.

...

This evening the sun went down in a deep orange over the bay of Santa Barbara. Some folks used to say that it is a bad sign to see a red sun going down. That it would forecast death and war. Fortunately Henry Spencer was a reasonable person. Someone who never believed in signs and mystic stuff like that in general. That he still went along with his son´s stupid Psychic Detective Agency was just because he had promised not to interfere but to let him fall on his own. That was the only way the boy learned from mistakes. By experiencing them on his own. It was a wonder that he had kept up that craziness for so long. But on the other hand, there were a lot of people who bought that crap he always gave them with his screaming and faked shivering and whatever he did to convince them. They truly believed that he had this so called gift. That people actually believed him was still the biggest mystery in Henry´s eyes. The only mystery. There was no such thing as foretelling of the future or bad signs. Just the good old reasoning mind of a cop who knew that trouble was on the way.

Ad had said he wanted to call him back, but he didn´t say when. Henry had waited the whole day, always looking at the phone but it never rang again. Maybe Ad would call tomorrow. Or late at night. Who knew where he was? Maybe there was another time where he lived now. Henry didn´t know. The number he had called was from a cell phone. Maybe the oldest model you could find on this planet. He remembered it vividly. It was as big as a walkie talkie and the sound you heard out of it also sounded like that. Full of signal noise and always disturbed by interferences. But like all old things it probably was designed to live much longer than all this new stuff they sold these days. And so was Ad as it seemed. When Henry had dialed the number he had almost expected to get no answer at all. He had almost hoped for it. But he had gotten an answer. And maybe that was the worst part of it. He had the creeping feeling that he woke a sleeping dog. Damn a sleeping snake. That was it, what this all was about. This goddamn snake. The Rattlesnake. What a stupid name for a Brotherhood. Henry had never really understood what all this had been about. Only that these people were insane and very serious. They were dangerous. And if there was only the slightest possibility that they were back again … He didn´t even want to imagine what could happen.

He looked at his phone again. It wouldn´t ring. Not today anyway. No use to wait for it. But he couldn´t help. He was on the tenterhooks. If only this goddamn bastard had told him, what he was about to do, before he hung up. Or at least when he intended to call him back. What the hell was he supposte to do now? Staying home until it rang again? Not leaving the house just in case he should call the moment, when he walked out of the door? That was just stupid. He wouldn´t stay awake any longer. It was almost ten and dark outside. He wanted to be at the station early tomorrow to make sure Shawn wouldn´t get on this damn case. He would go to bed now.

Just when he stood up from his sofa he heard a sound outside and halted. He listened but there was nothing. But he was sure he had heard something. A sound as if someone just jumped over his fence. He knew that sound from Shawn and Gus, who had done this at the age of fourteen maybe two-hundred times a day. They had thought because Colt Seavers never used a yard door, they didn´t have to either. Henry was sure. Someone just entered his garden. Somewhere between the hedge and his geraniums. He sneaked over to the fireplace and took the gun he had stored there in a box. Then he heard another sound. A step on his back door. Whoever that was, he had just reached his veranda.

Henry sneaked to the back door with his back on the wall. When he passed the window he went down to his knees and crawled under it. He just came back up, when a shadow passed the window outside, heading for his back door. Henry prepared.

The door was opened and then the intruder stepped in. Henry jumped forward but the other one was faster. An iron hand hit his forearm and the gun flew to the ground, sliding over the floor and right under the couch. The fight was over even before it started.


	3. Back Off Spencer

**Back off Spencer**

„As you can see, is the cause of death easy to tell." the pathologist said, pointing at the hole in the heart, what he had already stored in a bowl of the scale.

Detective Lassiter didn´t bother to round the table to look at it any closer. He had seen enough looking at the accurately dismantled body of the dead criminal that was lying right in front of him. So he just smiled at the coroner and gave him a grateful nod to affirm the information. The pathologist got the signal and let go of the heart. He wiped his hands off on his pinafore, leaving red marks all over his chest. Everybody else might have noticed his mistake. Not Woody Strode. He went just on with his work as if it was completely normal to run around like Sweeney Todd. The detective just dismissed it. He swallowed nevertheless at the unpleasant sight and took care to keep a save distance from the doctor, when he came to him, to show him even more. But before he went on he paused and looked at Lassiter.

„By the way. Did the FBI tell you to come down here for the report, detective?" he asked.

„Sure." Lassiter answered. „The chief just wants us to have a clean closure before we hand over the case completely."

„Ah yeah." Strode said. „I see." And with a shrug he turned back to the body.

Lassiter had to restrain to roll his eyes at the easy deceived naivety of that man. Of course FBI had not sent him here to get a report on their behalf but this was still the case of the S.B.P.D. and he wanted to be damned if he would let the FBI walk off with a victim that was shot right in front of his department, without ever letting him know what became of the case. If necessary he would even call his friend at the FBI headquarter to get the informations about how it was going. Okay she was just a stenographer but she was tricky and surely she would find a way to find out what was going on. It was not the best contact one could have in an office like the FBI but it was better than nothing.

„Except for the bullet in his heart I can tell you that our friend didn´t live the healthiest life." Strode now told him. „He suffered from too much cholesterol and high blood pressure. And his lungs didn´t look good as well. He was a heavy smoker and if he hadn´t got shot, he probably would have gotten cancer in a couple of years from now."

Lassiter listened to that without really listening. That was nothing he could use for anything. How the guy had fed himself before he died was not his problem. But while listening, his eyes dropped down and he noticed something. There was color on his neck, wasn´t it?

„What´s that?" he asked, pointing at his detection.

„Oh." Strode cried out quiet delighted and turned the man´s head around so Lassiter could see the neck a little better. It didn´t help very much though.

„Its a tattoo." he explained. „Wait. I have a foto." He walked off and returned with a picture. Lassiter took it from him. This one was more like it.

„Its a snake." Strode told him though he surely saw that Lassiter could see it quiet good on his own. „A very accurate picture. Artistic I would call it. Interesting details."

Lassiter was about to agree with him. There was something on the head of that snake that looked suspiciously like another snake. Interesting. Maybe it was a picture of some devils worshippers or some other evil old cult. Maybe this guy had been in some sort of a sect. Or even more likely this tattoo marked the members of a highly criminal alliance like the mafia or even more dubious and shady. People like that would probably kill their own to keep them from talking. From giving away the darkest and deepest secrets of their …

„Detective?" Woody addressed him and dragged him out of his musing.

„Hm?"

„Is everything all right, detective?" the coroner asked. „You looked a little distracted."

„Oh, yeah yeah." Lassiter said and cleared his throat. „What did you just say?"

„I was about to tell you, that the way the tattoo is stretched out, I can tell you, that he has it quiet long. It grew with him when he got older. He maybe has it since his childhood."

„Who makes a kid a tattoo like that?" Lassiter asked. „Especially on the neck."

Strode just shrugged.

„Thank you, doctor." Lassiter said. „May I take this?" he raised the picture.

„Oh, of course. That´s what I made it for. To help you with the investigation. I planned to give it directly to Special Agent Johnson but I believe you can do that as well."

„Of course." Lassiter smiled at him politely. Then he left. This FBI guy could see for his own picture if he wanted one. This was his lead and he would track it down before the FBI even had an idea about the meaning of that tattoo.

When he came back to the bullpen he went straight into chief Vick´s office. He heard Spencer´s voice long before he entered. The fake psychic was already there and pretended to have one of his episodes. Just another stupid act to get himself a hiring on a case he wasn´t needed for. Lassiter would take care of getting him out of the door as soon as he was done with his playing. Trying to interrupt him was useless, he had learned that quiet early in their relationship. He would only get himself into something he didn´t want to be a part of. Over the years he had learned to stand the stupidity and dismiss it afterwards. That was the best and only way to handle that overgrown kid.

When he entered the chief´s office, Spencer had his hand on his head and was talking in a high pinching voice, with his eyes closed.

„I see a snake!" he cried and made Lassiter frown unwillingly. „Many people. Mean people." He grumbled as if he was angry. Then he opened his eyes. „Its a gang." he said. „Their sign is a snake. That way they mark their members."

Before chief Vick could ask a question about that pitiful act, Lassiter stepped forward.

„Good work, Spencer." he said. „But this is something I could have told you as well without any visions." He showed chief Vick the picture. „There was a tattoo on the neck of the dead man´s …"

„Chest?" Spencer interrupted him. When no one knew what he meant, he apologized. „Sorry. I guess I confused that with something else."

Gus pushed him with his elbow but Shawn ignored it. Chief Vick took the picture from Lassiter and looked at it.

„Do you know, what gang this tattoo belongs to?" she asked Lassiter and Shawn the same time.

Shawn waited until Lassiter admitted that he didn´t. „Not yet." he explained. „I just got the information but I will investigate it immediately."

Chief Vick nodded and gave him the foto back. „No." she said and stopped Lassiter´s turn around in the motion. „This is an FBI-case." she reminded him. „You will hand them the picture and all the information you´ve got so far."

Gus threw a winning grin at Shawn.

„But Chief!" Lassiter cried out. „We …"

„Oh, I see something else!" Shawn shouted. „Someone was arrested. Yeah. A member of that gang. But its fade. It was a long time ago."

„How long?" chief Vick asked and interlaced her fingers.

„I´m not sure." Shawn went on. „Very long. Long enough to get back to the time, when my dad was still active."

Chief Vick raised both eyebrows and Lassiter even started to laugh.

„Great." he said. „That gives us a time period of over thirty years to work with."

„Wait!" Shawn demanded. „Now I see it. Its not just the time of my father working here. He was the one who arrested the man."

Chief Vick started to think about it, closely watched by all three attendants. Finally she nodded.

„All right. If this is true, then I believe this case is ours after all. At least to a certain degree. Detective. You will call Henry in for a questioning. Ask him about his old cases. Maybe he remembers a man with a tattoo like that."

„Wait." Shawn cried. „My dad isn´t here?"

„He is still on vacation." Karen told him. „I thought you knew that."

„I did." Shawn replied a little startled. „I … just forgot … for a moment."

The chief threw him a hesitant look but then decided to skip that point, not noticing the confused look the two consultants exchanged with each other. She looked at Lassiter again and gave him a gaze that said strongly that she expected him to go to work at once. Reluctantly the head detective nodded and then left her office. That was going to be an annoying one, he thought when he was outside. When he really was forced to call in a Spencer on this could-have-been-a-cool-case, it would be everything but cool. It would be stressing and troublesome, like all cases this family was involved in. Why had he wanted it again? He couldn´t remember.

...

„You think he decided to let go of this after all?" Gus asked Shawn when the two of them walked back to the police station after they got themselves some tacos from the shop around the corner.

„Maybe." Shawn replied. „Why else should he stay home in spite of what he said yesterday? Maybe his vacation was more important for him than teaching me a lesson after all."

„Dude, you really think that?" Gus asked doubtful. Shawn just shrugged. „You know, he will be pissed when he learns that you brought him into this." Gus then added for consideration.

„I know." Shawn answered with a mouthful of meat and vegetables. „But I had no choice, Gus. He knows something but obviously he doesn´t want to talk to me about this. Maybe he´ll talk to Lassie."

Gus just shrugged. „Hope you know what you´re getting yourself into." he said and took a bite from his own taco.

Shawn didn´t respond. He didn´t like this situation either. His dad would deny him cream-cakes for over a month, maybe longer. But that was a prize he had to pay if he wanted to solve this case. Henry was the only lead he had so far and if he couldn´t present something very fast, the case would be gone for good. This way he had won some time. Besides his dad would eventually love to reopen one of his old cases anyway. Not even he would be able to resist. He just wouldn´t admit it. But that was okay.

Smiling Shawn entered the department behind Gus. They had been on their way for somewhat around half an hour. Enough time for his dad to drive here, if Lassie had called him right away. And if not, they could wait here until he arrived. Of course they would hide, so he wouldn´t see them. No need to tempt fate.

„Hey, Jules!" he greeted when they reached the young woman´s desk. „My dad already here?"

„No." she answered. „We couldn´t reach him yet. He´s probably not home. We´ll try again later."

„Spencer!" Lassiter´s deep voice suddenly appeared behind them. „You´re still here?"

Shawn faced the detective with a serious look. „Not still." he said. „Again." He forced himself to look even more serious. „Didn´t I tell you that _I´ll be back_?" he asked.

Lassiter rolled his eyes about that poor and pathetic Terminator imitation and passed the duo by walking right through them. Both, Shawn and Gus followed him with their eyes, while biting into their tacos synchronously. Lassiter halted and looked back at them irritated. They just returned the gaze.

„You gonna stay?" he asked. „Don´t you have anything else to do?"

„We won´t leave before my father arrives here." Shawn stated overdramatic.

Lassiter sighed. „Suit yourself." he said. „But stay out of my way. It could take some time."

„Why don´t you call him again, right now?" Shawn suggested. „He was probably just on the John when you tried the first time."

Lassiter, who had just sat down, rose again, leaning on the table with a gritting smile. Gus raised his eyebrows at the sight. What was Lassie up to now? It looked strange.

„Why don´t _you_ call him?" Lassiter suggested friendly. „He´s your dad after all. Call him on your cell phone and ask him sweetly to come over here. Would you do that?"

Shawn swallowed the rest of his bite and didn´t give a response. Lassiter knew exactly that he couldn´t call himself to ask his dad here for questioning. He knew it damn well and that was something Shawn hated. When someone tricked him with his own weapons. Especially if this someone was a certain head detective. That was so not fair.

Lassiter nodded, still smiling. „That´s what I thought." he sat down again. „Careful on your way out. The caretaker just moped the floor."

Shawn threw a look at Juliet. The junior-detective just shrugged. Finally he turned around to leave.

„Where can he be?" Gus whispered at him.

„No idea." Shawn replied and threw a look back at Lassiter´s table. The head detective had just picked up his phone and dialed a number. Shawn smiled but when Lassie put it back into its cradle after a minute without reaching anyone, his smile faded again. Gus looked at him somehow worried. That was something he didn´t like either. Especially when he felt worried himself with no particular reason at all. That his dad didn´t answer the phone could have many reasons. Maybe he was out to the home depot again. The man seemed to spend almost his entire free time there, when he wasn´t in his garden or building something in the house … or fishing. There were many reasons why he wouldn´t answer his phone. So why was Shawn so tensed about that idea? Because it was just not like Henry not to answer the phone, that´s why. Plus he had planned to be at the station today. And he had seemed pretty serious about that.

Shawn opened the door and they left the police station. Outside he took his cell phone out.

„Are you going to call him anyway?" Gus asked.

„Just a try." Shawn mumbled. „I´ll ask if he overlooked one of my tubs. He´ll buy that."

Gus raised one eyebrow but waited what was gonna happen. It rang two times, three times and then the connection was suddenly gone. Shawn cocked his head and looked at the display.

„What is it?" Gus wanted to know.

„He must have switched off his cell phone." Shawn said startled.

„Why should he do that?"

„I dunno. He must have seen on the number that it was me."

„Maybe that was the reason." Gus suggested slightly teasing.

„Gus, don´t be ridiculous. The man never misses a chance to talk me into one of his home improvement projects." He looked at his cell phone musing. „He never switched off his phone when I called. And he always answered even if he didn´t want to talk to me."

He looked at Gus and the teasing in his friend´s eyes was gone. Now there was only worry. The same worry Shawn felt himself. Something was wrong.

...

The first thing Shawn noticed when they got out of the car, was the newspaper that lay at the door of his father´s house. The first bad sign. He didn´t bother to tell Gus about it but hurried right over to the door. It was locked. It was never locked. He bowed down and fished the second key from under the plant and opened the door. By now Gus had locked the car and caught up with him. He looked at him and got his drift. Shawn counted down from three to zero and then opened the door quickly. They peeked inside but everything was quiet. On the tip of their toes they sneaked in, always expecting an assassine (or maybe a ninja fighter dressed all black) to jump around the corner and attack. Fortunately nothing like this happened and when they were sure that the first floor was empty, they finally exhaled and relaxed.

„Dude." Shawn whispered. „The second floor."

„You go." Gus whispered back.

„I have to secure the … you know the … the down here." He made a gesture to include the room, when he suddenly noticed something.

„You only want to secure the door so you can get away faster." Gus hissed.

Shawn raised his hand to finish the argument and then pointed at what he had discovered. Gus followed his sign and saw it too. There was dirt on the floor. Thick, heavy dirt from the garden right in front of the back door, forming at least one clear footstep. The door itself was closed.

„Someone was here." Shawn whispered.

„Really, Shawn?" Gus asked. „What was your first clue?"

„Dude. When was the last time you saw my dad letting someone in, that had dirty feet like that?"

„Never."

„Exactly. Whoever came in here, was not a bidden guest. We also know that he is gone since last night. He didn´t get his newspaper in. That´s the first thing he does in the morning."

Shawn went over to the dirt and spotted something beneath the sofa. He bowed down to have a better look and froze. Immediately he stood up again and took his cell phone out.

„What you do?" Gus asked startled.

„I call Lassie." Shawn said absolutely serious. „My dad has been kidnapped."

...

„One more time, Spencer." Lassiter demanded. „You know that your father was kidnapped … why?"

„Look around, Lassie." Shawn answered. „Can you see him?"

„That he is not in his house doesn´t mean that he is held hostage, Spencer." Lassiter argued very calm. „There are lots of people who stroll off from time to time."

„Not my father." Shawn insisted.

Lassiter groaned and threw his head backwards in a gesture of weariness.

„Since when is he missing?" Juliet asked.

„O´Hara, don´t support him." Lassiter begged. „His old man probably got enough of him for a while and went on a vacation."

„He is not on vacation." Shawn insisted.

„Oh, and you know that." Lassiter said with irony. „Of course, he always tells you where he is going, every single minute in his life. Get real, Spencer. Your dad left without saying good bye to you. Get over it."

He was about to leave, when Shawn stumbled into his way, faking a sudden episode. „Oh god, I feel a fight." he cried. Lassiter pushed him back to Gus. „Or at least a struggle." Shawn went on as if he didn´t notice it. „My dad pulled his gun. But the attacker disarmed him." He pretended to struggle against an invisible man and then made a gesture as if he lost his gun into the direction of the couch.

Without opening his eyes, he pointed with his finger. „There!" he cried. „Look for it. It has to be there somewhere."

Juliet bowed down and spotted the gun, that was stuck beneath the sofa and the floor.

„He is right." she said and put a glove over her hand to pick the gun up.

Lassiter frowned but then shook his head. „That doesn´t prove anything." he said. „He might have hidden it there on purpose. I have eight hidden guns in my appartement."

Juliet and Gus threw him startled looks at this, but he didn´t notice any of them. He was already addressing Shawn again. But he didn´t listen to him either. He had noticed something else. There was something missing on the fireplace.

„ … Did you get that Spencer?" Lassiter asked.

Shawn turned back to him. „Hm? Sorry, what did you just say?"

„I said." Lassiter started over again barely able to keep himself from yelling. „That there is no sign of a struggle in here. No matter what you say." he added quickly and strictly to shush him and O´Hara before one of them could object.

„I agree." Shawn said.

„Spencer, I thought I made myself clear …" Lassiter started but then blinked in surprise. „You do?"

„You do?" Gus and Juliet echoed the detective.

Shawn nodded and raised his hand to his temple again. „I sense something now. Something that came after the struggle. My dad left … freely. The man came in, they struggled and he lost his gun. But then he left with him."

„Was he forced to?" Juliet asked.

Shawn hesitated but then threw a furtive look at the fireplace and shook his head. „No." he said. „He did it on his own free will. He knew the intruder."

Lassiter clapped his hands in an ironical applause. „Finally!" he said. „You finally figured out that your father left without any criminal force. Great! O´Hara, lets go. We´re done here."

„But he is in trouble nevertheless." Shawn cried out. He tried to keep up the performance but when he saw that it didn´t work, he eventually lowered his arm. „Lassie, I just know it." he said. „Jules."

She was about to say something but again, Lassiter was faster. He pointed at Shawn and said: „Listen, Spencer. When your father is missing for more than 48 hours than you may report him missing officially. Until then there is no case." He looked at him and Shawn´s slightly desperate look almost made him regret that he had spoken that harsh. A little more gently he added: „Keep calling him on his cell phone. When he is nerved enough he will answer."

With that he left. Juliet padded Shawn´s shoulder in sympathy for a moment: „I´m sure he´s all right." she said and then followed her partner.

„What did you mean he left on his free will?" Gus asked when they were alone. „First you say he fought, then he went on his own behalf? Where are you going with that?"

„I don´t know, Gus, okay?" Shawn snapped but then went contemplative again. His eyes were at the fireplace again. Gus looked over there as well but couldn´t find anything interesting.

„What?" he asked. „What is there?"

Shawn went over to the place and pointed at the space between the fish and a wooden box. „His map is gone." he said.

„His hiking map?"

„Exactly. He only takes it with him, when he intents to go somewhere special."

Gus raised his eyebrows. „Then maybe he really just went for a trip." he guessed.

„Gus, didn´t you hear a single word of what I said before?" Shawn cried out hitting his own forehead. „Turn around and look at this. If he had just left for a nice hiking weekend, do you really think, he would have left without cleaning up? No way. The man is a cleaning maniac. No. Whatever it was that made him leave, was so urgent that he had no time to get the broom and you know what that means when it comes about my dad."

„I don´t know, Shawn." Gus replied. „I think Lassiter might be not so wrong after all. And even if you are right and he really left in a hurry … who says that there is any crime involved? He is in a hurry when he has to bring the fish to the barbecue."

Shawn didn´t know what to say against this. It was true, his father had an attitude to make a mountain out of a molehill. Gus came to him and padded his back the way Juliet had done before. Well, maybe not quiet the same way.

„Don´t worry." he said trying to ease him. „He´ll be back." He threw a look at his watch. „I have an appointment with a customer. See you later."

He padded Shawn´s shoulder one last time and then left. Shawn stayed behind and sighed. That was definitely not the way he had imagined this case to go. Why had he wanted it again in the first place? He couldn´t remember. Finally he brought himself to move again. He was almost at the door but then halted. Something was still wrong here and he couldn´t leave without fixing it. At least that. So he went to the closet and rummaged in there until he found what he was looking for. With the broom in his hand he went back to the back door and started to sweep the dirt out of his father´s house.


	4. Old Tracks And Some New Ones

**Old tracks and some new ones**

There was a heap of old files lying around on the two desks and the boxes they had brought up from the archive were still full with even more. Unbelievable how much paper one guy could produce in thirty years of duty, Lassiter thought. Since they hadn´t been able to talk to Henry Spencer personally, they had had no other choice but to find the case that included a man with a snake tattoo on the neck, the old fashioned way. By working through his files one by one. Unfortunately they hadn´t considered how much it would be. Lassiter couldn´t help but wondered how much would be there at the end of his own carrier. That would be somewhat around 2060. But by then technologie would be advanced enough, to spare paperwork completely he guessed and files like this would be stored inside of a chip not bigger than his fingernail. What a pity that it hadn´t been that way already in the 80ies. That would make the work he and O´Hara did for five hours now much easier and most of all less space taking. He leaned forward and looked around, where he had put his mug the last time he saw it. Also for the twentieth time as it seemed.

„Right edge." O´Hara told him without looking up from her file.

Lassiter frowned but looked at the place she had suggested. She was right. There it was. Hidden under a careful laid down file. He took it and made a thanking gesture in her direction until he noticed that there was only a sip of coffee left. Cold of course. He put the file aside and stood up. His ankles creaked under the unexpected movement, what they hadn´t have in at least an hour. O´Hara looked up in surprise and smiled when she saw his distorted face.

„You want another one too?" he asked when he strolled over to the coffee maker.

„No, thanks." she answered and put the file aside to take the next one. „Maybe a beer." she added and actually heard an amused chuckle from her partner.

„Right." he agreed with her and poured himself a new coffee.

O´Hara looked at her watch. It was three p.m. The same time they had been at Henry Spencer´s house yesterday. Not quiet 48 hours yet but almost. That was if Shawn was right and Henry was really gone since the night before. But on the other hand, how often did he make a mistake in a matter like that? She wondered if Shawn truly would come over to report his father missing like Lassiter had suggested. But perhaps this wasn´t even necessary. Maybe Henry was already back home. Would Shawn call to tell her? He was the one who had suggested to bring his father in for questioning after all.

She sighed and turned the page. There were a couple of black and white photos from the suspect. Arrested for armed robbery. A mean looking guy with black hair and an uncut beard. He wore an earring and some tattoos on his arms and other parts of his body. O´Hara sighed again and flipped through the pictures that showed the tattoos. What did people see in those things? Did they really think they were pretty? Most of them were pictures of skulls and burning skeletons with chains in their bony fingers. A biker on a hells machine, a snake, a … wait. A what? She turned back the photo and there it was. A snake on the neck of the man. Though she was already sure that it was the same snake, she took the photo Lassiter had brought from the autopsy, to compare it. It was the same thing.

She jumped up right in the moment when Lassiter came back. He managed it just in time to get his mug, now full with steaming hot coffee, out of her way before he spilled it all over himself.

„O´Hara!" he cried annoyed. „Be careful."

„I´m sorry, Carlton, I didn´t see you." she apologized glowing with excitement and then showed him her discovery. „I think, I found what we were looking for."

...

When Gus came into the Psych office, he found Shawn sitting on the computer. But he wasn´t playing for a change. There was a google earth map on the screen and a paper with crossed out names of places.

„What are you doing?" he wanted to know.

„I tried to remember the marks on my dad´s map." Shawn explained. „You remember, he used to circle natural spots with a red marker."

„That´s the way he used to orient himself on trips." Gus recalled with a nod.

„I figured that he would go to one of them or use them to go somewhere." Shawn explained.

„Any luck?"

„Not yet." Shawn groaned, leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes.

„Since when are you here?" Gus wanted to know.

„Eight." Shawn answered and caused Gus to raise his eyebrows up to his not existing hairline. „I couldn´t sleep any longer." he added.

„Wow." Gus said. „You really _are_ concerned, aren´t you?"

„Gus, my dad is missing, and didn´t show up yet. Of course I´m concerned. Who knows what he got himself into this time."

„Funny." Gus stated. „Usually that would be your dad´s line. Interesting role reverse, don´t you think?"

„Take that back." Shawn demanded.

„You have to admit it." Gus insisted. „You took over your dad´s part quiet fast. Calling the police at the first clue, working on a case the old fashioned way, being concerned …"

„God, you´re right." Shawn finally agreed in shock. „That must be the reason why I swept that dirt out."

„What dirt?"

„The dirt on the floor in my dad´s house."

„You swept your dad´s house?"

„Not the whole house. Just that part around the back door." Gus gave him a look and he shrugged embarrassed. „I don´t know why I did this. It … Somehow it wasn´t the house of my dad anymore with all that dirt lying around." When Gus started to slightly grin at him he couldn´t stand it any longer and waved both of his hands through the air. „Aahh whatever!" he cried. „The important thing is, that I have no idea where he could have gone." he pointed at the map on his screen. „There are so many possibilities and not a single one of them makes any sense."

„Why?"

„Cause he did never mark any real places. Only the tracks to them. These landmarks he used to orientate. There are many places they lead you to, when you follow the tracks."

„And if you don´t follow the tracks?" Gus asked.

„What?"

„I mean, what if these landmarks are not the signs but the places themselves?"

„Are you serious? Gus we´re talking about rocks and lakes and … stuff. Why should he go there?"

„I don´t know. Did you check them?"

„Of course. What do you think I did, the last … goddamn, five hours."

„Didn´t you say, you were here since eight?" Gus ask confused looking at his watch. It was already two p.m.

„I had a lunch break of course." Shawn explained. „One hour, that´s in the contract."

„What contract, Shawn? You´re not working for anyone. This is your office."

But this time Shawn didn´t go along with the faked argument. He waved his hand in a tired way and Gus decided to better let it go. His friend was barely so tensed about something. Five hours of real work on his side was the proof. This was serious.

„Shawn." he said. „Did you ever consider the possibility that your dad might not want to be found?" Shawn looked at him not understanding. Gus nodded. „I thought about it a little myself." he said. „Think about it. Your dad is an ex-cop. And you said that he left his house on his own free will. What if someone showed up, he knew back then and asked him for help?"

Shawn shook his head. „No. If it had been only this, he would have left a message or something. He at least would have cleaned up."

„Except if he had no time." Gus reminded.

Shawn halted for a second, finally getting his drift. „You mean undercover?" he asked.

„Why not? There are many undercover missions that get finished without the cover being revealed. So the cops can go back undercover again later if necessary. Maybe your dad had one of those too."

„Dude!" Shawn cheered. „That´s it." But a second later he sank back into his chair. „No." he corrected himself. „That doesn´t make sense. If he had to go undercover, he would leave something to explain why he isn´t home. A faked vacation, maybe, like Lassiter said. Something that explains why he is gone."

„You said yourself, he was in a hurry. Maybe he just couldn´t."

Shawn nodded. „And that would mean, he is in trouble." He thought about the whole thing for a minute. Then he stood up. „I need to know what Lassie and Jules found out." he said.

„What are you gonna say?" Gus asked. „Our theory about him being undercover could be wrong."

„I know." Shawn admitted reluctantly. „Don´t worry. I think of something on the way."

...

„Aaahhh!" Shawn cried with his eyes wide open and a hand reaching out. „I´m blind!"

Chief Vick threw a look at Gus and then behind him when she saw detective Lassiter closing in.

„No wait!" Shawn now cried and looked as if he tried to make out something in the distance. „I´m not blind. But its dark. Very, very dark. I´m buried. No! I´m in a cave. No, not a cave. But I´m under the ground. I´m in the underground. I _live_ in the underground?"

„Maybe his dad went underground." Gus explained to chief Vick, while Shawn shook his head as if to come out of it again. „Maybe he tries to find the man he arrested so many years ago."

„That could be true, chief." Lassiter said. „Especially since he can only find the man six feet under." He handed chief Vick a paper and then turned to Shawn. „The man your father arrested is dead. He died in a fire, twenty-five years ago, together with five other victims." He turned back to the chief. „The case was solved as an accident, caused by lack of fire protection and obsolete electronic." He handed her the whole file.

Shawn noticed something that was written on the top. It was the name of the place, where the fire had been. It was outside of town, on a hill in the woods. He remembered it from the map of his dad. It was close to one of his landmarks. So Gus had been right after all. It was not the track it was the mark itself. Quickly he raised his hand to his head.

„Was my father working on that case?" he asked.

Chief Vick looked up at him and then back into the file. „No." she said. „The investigating detective was a Daniel Smith." she told him.

„But … that can´t be." Shawn said shaking his head in denial. „I see that he was there."

„Where?" chief Vick asked. „At the house?"

„Yes. But not with the other police men. I sense that he was there alone. Or maybe not completely alone. I … I´m not sure." he admitted. „Its unclear. But I know that he was there."

He looked over to Gus, who looked back at him with a confused asking face. Shawn didn´t know what else to say. Maybe this time, he tried too much at once.

„Excuse me." he said to the chief and then left without another word. Gus smiled and gave chief Vick an apologizing nod. Then he followed him.

The chief exchanged a puzzled look with her head detective, who seemed as startled as she was herself. „What was that supposte to mean?" she asked.

Outside in the hall Gus asked Shawn the same question.

„I think, we might have to go on a trip." Shawn answered him and made his way out to the parking lot.

...

„What is that?" O´Hara asked when she came back from the archives. She bowed her head so she could read what file her partner was reading. „The burned house?" she said it loud. „Why are you reading this? I thought chief Vick closed the case."

„She did." Lassiter affirmed.

„Well." she shrugged a little confused. „With that suspect being dead our involvement in the case is over. The FBI already took Alvarez´s body and delivered him to their department. Its over, Carlton."

„I know."

„So why are you still on it?"

„Just something, that Spencer said." he explained without looking up. „He said Henry was up there but he was not with the police men who cleaned up the place. I got a list, his name is not on it. Not even one of the voluntaries."

He handed O´Hara the list so she could see for herself.

„But I found out that one of the six victims, besides Henry´s man, was arrested once too. Auto theft. Guess what I found on his neck."

He handed a stunned O´Hara a photo. It showed the man from aside. The picture that had been taken when he was arrested. On his neck there was incomplete but clear enough a tattoo of a rolled snake.

„What do you say now?" Lassiter asked. „Two of these burned men were part of the same gang. How do you think are the chances that the others were too?"

„So what do you think?" O´Hara wanted to know. „You don´t think that Henry could have something to do with that fire, do you?"

Lassiter hesitated. „I don´t want to believe that either." he finally said. „You know what happens when you put false colours upon a police officer. All his files will be rechecked again and all the criminals that were judged because of his work might get free. No, not without rock-hard evidence."

O´Hara looked down. That was a damn hard thing to decide. Her eyes skimmed the list in her hand and suddenly she recognized one of the names there.

„Where do I know that name from?" she asked herself loud and made Lassiter look up at her puzzled. She thought and tried to remember. And then she got it. Immediately she was at her computer and started to type. Lassiter became curious and followed her. When he reached her and got a look at her screen, she had just opened an article. It was from the online archives of the website of the Santa Barbara Mirror. It was from 1986. The headline read: Police Officer missing.

„That is Officer Adam Demski." O´Hara explained. „He disappeared in 1986 without a trace."

Lassiter looked at the date on the newspapers head. „Only a few weeks after the fire." he noticed.

„I´ll be damned." O´Hara whispered.

Lassiter hit the top of the table. „There we have our track." he said. „See if you can find out anything else about that guy. I´ll be right back."

„Where are you going?"

He halted halfway down the hall and turned back to her, hesitating what to say.

„Just … going to the bathroom for a sec."

„Isn´t it funny how you always have something urgent to do, when it comes about researching things?" she said. „Usually I got stuck with it then."

He shrugged and put on a bashful smirk. „Well, you always do so great with it." he said. „I´ll be right back." And with that he swirled around and vanished behind the corner.

Juliet just smiled and turned back to her computer. It was not that she wasn´t flattered by the compliment. But he was much more generous with compliments when he could get something in return. It was true. When you are good at something, you almost have to do everything. Her mother used to say that. But she _was_ good at it. Really good. By the time Lassiter came back, she had already managed to find a list of the files of Demski´s cases. They were sealed up but one call at the archives was enough to get them access to them and as soon as they arrived, they started to work through them. This time gratefully on the screen and not with real paper. It was barely one hour later when Lassiter found another familiar name in one of them.

„Archibald Warner." he read. „A sixteen year old, arrested for pilfering and vandalism."

„And?"

„Archibald Warner was the younger brother of a Kenneth Warner. One of our fire victims."

O´Hara inhaled and stood up. „Then there are three of them." she cried excited.

„Three of six people who are second and third graded connected with each other and with a long missing police officer." Lassiter summarized while pinning a printed version of the report of Archibald Warner´s detention onto the board. „Want to take a bet if this Kenneth Warner had a tattoo? Just a few coincidences too much." he added grimly.

O´Hara stood next to him and together they looked over the collection they had made over the last few days. The dead suspect Alvarez, the burned house with its six victims, now also the case of the missing officer Demski plus the three detentions of the dead victims, that connected them with each other and proved also a connection with Demski. But where was Shawn´s father in all of that? She asked Lassiter that question and he didn´t seem surprised.

„I don´t have the slightest idea." he mumbled still looking at the board. „He is not listed in any of this. He was not at the house when the police and the firefighters got there. He arrested one of the victims, that´s all. But that was three months before the fire and could easily be coincidence."

„But Shawn said, he was there." Juliet recalled.

„At the house." Lassiter agreed but it sounded like a disagreement. „He didn´t say that it was with the fire. Who knows what Henry did twenty-five years ago." He chewed his lower lip and thought harder. „Henry Spencer and Adam Demski worked in two different departments. As far as we know, they never even met. Still they got linked somehow in that matter." He pointed at the board. „And it ended up with a burned down house and six dead people." He finished his musing.

„Plus one dead suspect in front of our station and one man missing." O´Hara added. Then she got out her cell phone and started to dial.

„Who are you calling?" Lassiter asked.

„Shawn." she said. „I think he has a right to know about this."


	5. What A Little Trip Can Bring

**What a little trip can bring**

Gus drove the car carefully over the barely visible way. It rumbled and jumped as if it would drive over a field that had been recently dug over and in some way it did. This passage through the woods was overgrown with grass and the only clue that told them that this was supposte to be a way for cars to go there, were the two tracks that lay a little deeper than the rest of the ground. There were surely not many who came here and it undoubtedly had been a while since last time. But there had been a time when cars were driving along this way. The only thing Gus was not so sure about was the target they would reach at the end. They had been following the tracks on Henry´s hiking map and that only from Shawn´s memory of them. But at least it still worked. Though he would barely call this a street. The only thing he could do, was to trust Shawn´s instincts about the directions … and to hope that the car would survive this trip without too many damages. He also hoped that Shawn wouldn´t be too disappointed when they wouldn´t find anything at the end of this way.

„There!" Shawn suddenly cried and made him jump. „You see that?"

Gus looked but didn´t see anything. Only that the wood was opening into a field now. Probably just the sign that they would have to turn around now. He told Shawn that, but only got a slap at his shoulder.

„Dude." Shawn said annoyed. „Don´t you see it?"

Gus tried again. Now that they were closer to the open field, he finally noticed it too. It was unbelievable. They truly had found it. After everything he had heard about that fire that had happened so many years ago, he had expected to find nothing at all. Sure a place like that would be erased after such a long time. But it wasn´t. In the middle of that field there were the remains of what had been a house before the fire had consumed most of it. The path that once had led to the front door was still partly visible.

He drove the car to the end of it and stopped right in front of this ruins that once had been a house. For a minute or so, they just looked at it in stunned disbelieve. The roof and most of the walls were gone. What was left of the joists was black and already started to fall apart under the influence of weather and nature. Everything was overgrown by plants. Even some trees came out of the floor that surely once had been a living room or a kitchen or whatever. It had an atmosphere like a place that had been forgotten by mankind and it reminded Gus a little on the illustrations in the Time Machine or the Lost World. It was a sunny day and all around them there were blooming flowers and singing birds. But this sight was creepy. As if the event that had happened here in the past, was still somehow alive.

Shawn was the first who overcame his stunning and opened the door to get out. Gus followed him.

„So what do we do now?" he asked. „You think that there is anything left in there?"

„We´ll see." was all Shawn answered and then he got up the three steps of a had-been-a-stair and entered that … that place. Gus hesitated. There was not much that could come down on them because there was no ceiling anymore. But the place gave him the creeps nevertheless. Finally he made himself go in as well. Though you barely could say _in_ any longer. There were no walls left and inside was as much as outside.

They walked around a while without seeing anything important. There was nothing left at all. A couple of burned out pictures and completely messed little statures that had once decorated the fire place. The floor was not completely black he now noticed. Neither were the remains of the joists. But you could see where the flames had raised to get to the roof of the building. Gus didn´t want to imagine how it must have been, especially for the six men who had been inside of that living hell.

„You see that?" Shawn mumbled and pointed around the floor.

„What?"

„It looks like the fire had more than just one center." Shawn explained. „Usually a fire would come from one point and then it would spread out. This seems to have at least three. Four. What does that tell you?"

„You mean someone set the house on fire intentionally?"

Shawn snapped his fingers. „Exactly." he said. Then he noticed something in a corner. There was something shining, lying between the plants. He bowed down and picked it up.

„What do you have?" Gus wanted to know.

Shawn showed him and there was an expression on his face as if he wanted to say: You see it now?

In his hand he had a ring. One of these fat ones certain men liked to wear. It had a sign. The picture of a snake. Gus gasped.

„Dude." Shawn said. „It isn´t burned like the other stuff. Someone was here lately."

Gus looked around to make sure that someone wasn´t here any longer to watch them or even to attack them any second. Shawn on the other hand went on looking around until he noticed something else.

„Dude!" he called for Gus, who hurried to follow him into the next room, through a door that wasn´t much more than a black frame. He found him cowering on the floor his hand feeling for something. Then Gus saw what it was. There seemed to be a door in the ground. A trap door? Or a secret door that led down into a secret cellar. He didn´t like any of it.

Then Shawn had found the handle and started to pull. It didn´t move. He urged Gus to help him and together they managed it to open the door. It went open with an awful rattling and squeaking sound that reminded Gus on an old horror film. Dust was raising when they let the door fall down the other side. They started to cough at this. After Shawn had waved away the dust he looked down the stairs.

„Do you have your flashlight with you?" he asked Gus.

Though he surely didn´t want to, Gus went back to the car and got the damn flashlight. He gave it to Shawn with the words: „You go first."

Shawn gave him a look but did as his friend demanded. Gus followed him down carefully as hell, always ready to spin around and run out again, if something should happen down there. A cracking sound perhaps that would tell him, the roof was about to come down on them to bury them alive. Or a cold hand grabbing him from behind. Consciously he knew that there were no ghosts of the six dead men down there. But logical thinking didn´t quiet work in such a place, especially when it was as dark as this one.

Shawn of course didn´t seem to bother about things like that at all. He looked around absolutely careless. But as soon Gus saw what was down here, he understood how his friend could have forgotten about the possible danger. The room down here, was not touched by the fire at all. Obviously the iron door had kept the fire outside. But the air was as dry as dust and made it hard to breath. This room looked like some sort of a situation room, and it reminded him a little at the assembly room of the monarch´s lodge. There was a big table, some old furnitures and even another fire place with sculptures and stuffed animals. There was an empty space on that ledge though and it looked as if someone had taken whatever had been there, not so long ago. It seemed Shawn was right. Someone had been here.

„Did we see enough now?" Gus asked. „Can we go?"

Shawn took a last look around and then agreed. They went back upstairs and closed the door again. Gus didn´t understand the necessity of that but Shawn insisted. They were just back at the car when Shawn´s cell phone rang. They exchanged a look. Under different circumstances that would be supposte to be Henry. Like he would follow some unwritten rule, he used to call always in the worst possible moment, preferably when they were sneaking around somewhere, they were not supposte to be. But they both knew that it wasn´t him this time. Shawn answered the call.

„Jules!" he said. „Sure we can come to the station. What is it? Did you find my … Okay. No. No problem. We´re there in … Dude. How long do we need back to town?"

„At least an hour." Gus told him. „Depends on traffic conditions."

„In an hour." Shawn reported. „See you there."

„What did she say?" Gus asked after he had hung up. „Did they found anything about your dad?"

„No." Shawn said contemplative. „She said, there is something they want to show us."

He shrugged and didn´t say any more, so Gus just started the motor and drove off.

...

„I … I can´t believe that." Shawn said and that was the truth. He had seen all the evidences Jules and Lassie had collected and placed on that board, he and his three companions now looked at. But even if there would be no question left and everything would be absolutely clear, he wouldn´t be able to believe it. He just couldn´t.

„Why?" Lassiter asked with a hidden grin. „Because you didn´t foresee it?"

„Carlton." Jules reprimanded him. The detective shrugged but shushed.

Jules lay a hand on Shawn´s shoulder, something he usually would be quiet delighted about. But this time he barely noticed it. He was still staring at all these facts she and Lassiter had rooted out from a part of his father´s life, he hadn´t even known that it existed. He always thought he´d know everything. Well, maybe not everything. But the highlights at least. And a thing like that could easily be called a highlight. His dad was involved (that´s at least what the evidence said) in the death of six people and the vanishing of another one. How the hell was it possible that you knew someone your whole life and he still had such a big secret? A dark secret.

„I´m so sorry, Shawn." Jules said. „I know this is not what you hoped for." When he still didn´t react she exchanged an asking glance with Gus and Lassiter. Gus was worried about his friend, she could see that in his eyes. Lassiter was just confused about the missing answer.

„I´m sure he is all right." Jules tried again. „We´ll find him."

Shawn cocked his head and looked at something for a few seconds. Then his eyes became clear again as if he just had a brainstorm or something. Finally he noticed Jules´ hand on his arm and cleared his throat as if this would be a very awkward situation.

„Thanks, Jules." he said. He padded her hand for a moment and then he just left without another word. Gus was so startled that he needed a moment before he could make his legs move and follow him out. The two detectives watched them go until they were out of the door.

„Poor guy." O´Hara said. „This is really hard for him."

„Yeah, maybe." Lassiter agreed thoughtful. „But he´s also hiding something from us."

„What?" she cried confused. „Why should he do that?"

„To protect his father of course." Lassiter explained. He was still looking at the door where Shawn and Gus had just vanished through. „You´ll follow them." he ordered O´Hara with a nod at the door. „Look where he is going." When he realized that she was close to object he added quickly: „He might bring himself in trouble."

That finally convinced her about his idea and in his mind he exhaled. That was close. He almost had caused a reason for serious problems in their partnership, not to talk about the loss of time an argument about equal partners would have caused right now. If he wanted her to tail Spencer, she had to hurry or he would be gone. But now she nodded, accepting that he had ordered her around, and already took the keys to her car.

„Keep me informed." he said.

She made a gesture to affirm and then ran to the door.

...

„What is it, Shawn? Where are we going?"

Gus looked at his friend, who was exceptionally driving himself. He only had allowed him to steer his car, because Shawn had been faster and sat behind the wheel before he even had caught up with him. Usually he would have objected and demanded that Shawn would get out and let him drive. This was a company car after all and Shawn´s driving stile was slightly careless. But Shawn had seemed so distracted and yeah gloomy that he had just not dared to distress him even more by arguing about who was driving.

„There was something I overlooked until now." Shawn now explained. „We´re going to the marina."

„Why?" Gus asked.

„I want to know if my dad´s boat is still there."

„You think he could have taken it?"

„He or whoever is or was with him." Shawn said.

Gus accepted that idea and kept his mouth shut until they reached the marina. Shawn parked the car close to the water. It wasn´t even necessary to get out of the car to see, that he had been right. The place where Henry´s boat was supposte to be was empty. It was gone. Shawn opened the door and got out. He walked to the edge and looked over the water. Gus waited a minute before he talked to him.

„You don´t think that he is …" he tried to formulate an awful thought that had popped up in his head without him wanting it. „I mean … You don´t think someone might have …"

„No." Shawn finally saved him and Gus would have lied if he had claimed that he wasn´t more than released. He didn´t even want to think of something like that. Henry had been like a second father for him after all. Or at least an uncle third grade. But growing up with someone being around all the time like Henry had been … you became close.

„So what are you looking for?" Gus asked again.

Shawn didn´t answer right away. He was still looking. Searching for something. Somehow it reminded Gus on that little adventure they had had with Shawn´s uncle once. There he had looked over the see the same way, trying to spot the place they were looking for.

„You´re looking for something on your dad´s map, don´t you?" he guessed.

Shawn didn´t answer but went on looking. Eventually he nodded and pointed into the distance, to a point, Gus couldn´t name.

„And I found it." Shawn said. „Dude. We need to go there. My dad could be there."

„Where?" Gus asked while he hurried after Shaw, who was already back in the car.

„Hurry." was all Shawn answered and started the motor. Gus jumped in and had just closed the door when Shawn already took of.

He wasn´t the only one who had to hurry to keep up with Shawn´s haste. Detective O´Hara, who had parked right at the corner, far away enough to not to be noticed by them, quickly engaged the gear and followed them. They almost seemed to run from her. Had they noticed her after all? But no. If they had, they wouldn´t run. Or would they? Was Lassiter that right about Shawn hiding something?

But no. She had seen them standing there as if musing. First she had thought they were just talking to ease each other, because of the worry they felt about Henry. But then this sudden rush away. It was as if they had gotten a signal for a running start. Maybe they had. But from whom?

But no. Most likely Shawn had had an episode of some sort. Maybe he had seen where his father was. And according to the haste with what he had started, he probably had seen his father in danger and now he tried to get to him in time. Maybe that was the right moment to call in for backup, she mused. Only that she couldn´t be sure about any of her thoughts so far. They were just theories with no prove at all. But on the other hand, Carlton had asked her to keep him informed, hadn´t he? She threw a look at her watch. It was barely half an hour ago since she had left the station. And when this really was false alarm? Not even Shawn could be absolutely sure all the time and she didn´t know what he saw. There was no reason to believe that he was running into a bunch of armed criminals or so, who would open fire immediately, as soon as they saw him.

Her hand was almost at the radio but then she withdrew it again. No, she would wait until she had concrete reason to believe that there was imminent danger. As far as she knew, Shawn´s vision also could lead him to some very peaceful place, maybe to show him some lead where he could find his father or something. It really didn´t need to be something dangerous. On the other hand, didn´t she learn anything from past experience?

„Dammit!" she cursed. Sometimes she hated this detective-reasoning.

This was Shawn she was reasoning about and every cell in her body cried out for her to call for backup. But there was this other part of her mind that made her think rational, not emotional. You are afraid, that something could happen to the two of them? Well, then take care that nothing will happen to them. You are a cop. You´ve got a weapon, experience in hand-to-hand fighting. If there should be immediate danger she could handle it. At least until the backup arrived.

She switched on the radio to let the music ease her mind a little. It worked, to a certain degree. Gus´ blue car drove out of the city and she had to slow down a little, keep a greater distance behind them so they wouldn´t notice that they were followed. It seemed to work, but on the other hand, the way Shawn had looked when he had rushed to the car, he wouldn´t even notice if she had followed them with a helicopter, flying only ten feet over their roof. There was only one thing on his mind right now and that was to get to the place, where his vision wanted him to be.

She followed them until they left the highway and headed into the hills. After another twenty minutes or so of cruising through the woods, she finally saw them stop. There was a little house that looked right over the ocean. A sleepy place, quiet and hidden enough to imagine a writer to live here and writing a book over the summer. The only thing that she didn´t like at the scene was that she had a damn bad feeling about that place. It was also a pretty good place to imagine a murder happening.

She parked at the curbside, so Shawn and Gus wouldn´t see her. Then she got out and sneaked through the trees, to have a better look at the house – and the two wandering boys. They had just left their own car and looked around. At the corner of the house they halted for a moment and looked over the ocean. No wait, they were looking down. Now she noticed that there was a way that probably led down to the water. She sneaked a little further, still hidden from them, until she could see what was down there. When she saw it, she understood why Shawn had been so excited and maybe even afraid about what he would find here. There was a short wooden walkway that reached into the water. Henry´s boat hadn´t been at his place and that was a place where it could have been. Only that it wasn´t there. It somehow didn´t seem right. That was strange. Jules had no idea what Shawn had seen or what had led him here, but for some reason she had expected to find Henry´s boat here as well.

Shawn and Gus exchanged a disappointed but yet worried glance. Then they headed for the door of the house. On their way to it, they seemed hesitating, almost afraid. Maybe Shawn sensed danger in there? Juliet´s hand instinctively wandered to her gun but she made herself waiting. Maybe it was nothing. It was understandable that they were nervous. And they had her as backup after all. If anything should happen, she would be ready.

They went up the little stairs that led to the front door. Shawn knocked but no one answered. For a moment they debated with each other. A typical Shawn and Gus whispering, the kind of debate she had seen so often between the two of them. After they came to a conclusion, Gus took the handle of the door and tried it. The door opened. They waited, peeked in, looked at each other. Shawn said something to Gus and he shook his head. Shawn again said something. Then Gus turned his head to the door and called a middle loud: „Hello?"

No answer. Finally Shawn called himself. „Dad?" he called. „Dad, its me. Are you in there?"

He gave Gus a nod and then they went in. Jules waited but she was on the edge. Goddammit if she only could see what was going on in there. In that moment she heard the scream. It was a high pinching scream, and though it sounded like a little girl she knew it was Gus who screamed. Immediately she was on her feet, took her gun and ran over to the house and through the door. The scream had already faded away but she could still hear Gus sobbing. She found him and Shawn in the kitchen, both pale and shocked. On the floor lay the reason for Gus´ horrified scream. Face down with a knife in his back. When she realized who the dead man was, she froze.

„Oh, my god." she exhaled.


	6. Still Missing

**Still missing**

„The long missing Officer Demski, look look." Detective Lassiter shook his head when the men shoved the stretcher out of the door. „With that we have one missing person less. But also more questions. So. What happened here, Spencer?"

„Isn´t that pretty obvious?" Shawn replied with a weak smile.

„Tell me nevertheless." Lassiter asked over-politely.

Shawn shrugged. „Someone killed him."

„Who?"

„How am I supposte to know? Really. Just because I have the gift you expect me to do everything for you. This isn´t good. You have to learn to do things on your own. Its about time, Lassie."

„As long as you don´t give me anything to work with, I assume that your father is involved in that murder." Lassiter replied unimpressed.

„Wait." Gus cried. „You don´t think that Henry killed that man, do you?"

„The forensics will find out if there are any evidences that connect him with Demski and his unpleasant decease." Lassiter said.

„He didn´t do it." Shawn said and then raised his hand to his head afterwards. „I sense that he was here. And I sense violence. But my father was gone when the violence started. He didn´t do it." Lassiter looked at him for a moment, probably considering if he should even listen or just dismiss what he said. Finally he dropped his gaze to the notepad he was holding all along and where he had noted down Shawn´s and Gus´ statement.

„If this is so, we´ll find out." he said. „Until then, he remains a possible suspect. Or a material witness for that matter." he added when Shawn opened his mouth to object. He turned around and called for McNab, who appeared in the door after two seconds, a winced look on his face.

„Issue the manhunt for Henry Spencer and his boat." Lassiter ordered.

Instead of saying yes sir, McNab threw an asking look at Shawn.

„May I know why you look at him?" Lassiter barked. „He is not here to affirm my orders. Now go."

„Yes sir." McNab said and then vanished through the door.

„All right, gentlemen." Lassiter said while he wrote another note onto his pad. „Thanks for your help in that issue and now you may go home. We let you know if we need anything else. Oh, and don´t leave the city."

Shawn gave him an annoyed face what seemed to amuse the detective. He and Gus were almost out of the door, when Lassiter called after them again. They turned around to see what he wanted.

„That was no joke." he told them.

...

„Oh, boy." Gus mumbled maybe for the hundredth time in the last hour. He was walking up and down restless in front of Shawn´s desk. That was his way of dealing with stress. By expressing it through excessive movement. Shawn on the other hand only wanted to sit it out. And that was exactly what he did. His feet on the table.

„How can you be so calm?" Gus asked him and kept on running around. „It could have been your dad we found in that house."

„But he wasn´t, Gus." Shawn tried to calm him down, not because he wanted Gus to be calm but because he started to make him nervous with his permanent running. Though Gus didn´t seem to listen at all. He shook his head and even looked pale – almost.

„Oh, boy." he repeated. „When I first saw that body …"

„Yeah, Gus, we all heard it." Shawn said annoyed. „God, the whole city could hear you."

„I was shocked Shawn." Gus snapped. „It could have been Henry. Your father."

„I know! Okay? I know." Shawn finally admitted. „You´re right. At the first sight … it really looked a little like him. But just a little and only because the guy lay face down and had a similar shape like my dad." Now he blanched himself a little but immediately shook his head. „But fact is, it wasn´t him. His boat was not there, that means he left the place before it happened."

„How do you know that?"

„I´ll just pretend that I never heard that question." Shawn said with a sharp glance at Gus.

„I mean it, Shawn." Gus insisted. „How can you know that he was already gone? He could have …"

„Gus!" Shawn cried almost hurt. „That´s my dad we´re talking about. He is absolutely not a suspect. Someone else killed that Demski guy."

„You need to let me finish, Shawn." Gus said with a slight grin about his friend´s haste. „I was about to say, he could have seen it and ran away so he wouldn´t be killed himself."

Shawn cocked his head in surprise. „Oh." he said and sat down again. But his butt had barely touched the chair when he jumped up again. „No." he said with a shaking head. Now he was the one who started to walk through the office. „If he had been there, he would have tried to save his partner." he said. „And then there would have been signs of a bigger fight. Bullets in the wall or at least a big mess. Maybe even another body."

Here he stopped not wanting to really think about who´s body it could have been. He could see in Gus´ face that he knew exactly what he thought in that moment. Sometimes he hated that. He just couldn´t hide it from him. Not when he really wanted it, like now for example. Usually he was a master in pretending and acting, to make people believe what he wanted them to believe. But when it came about real stressing stuff like that, he just lost it. And Gus was the first who noticed these weak points. He always detected them. Like a human sonar. God, he hated that. It was so absolutely unpleasant. He was supposte to be the psychic, who could see through people. To be so scrutable himself was … very unpleasant.

„I guess you´re right." Gus finally released him.

„Thanks."

„You´re welcome."

„So what happened really up there?" Shawn went on musing.

„We know that the man, Jules and Lassiter think that he once killed six people, alone or together with your dad and that was missing for the last twenty-fife years, is now dead." Gus summarized.

Shawn halted and looked at him amazed. „Wow." he said. „That was all the information we have so far, compressed in just one sentence. I´m so impressed."

„Practice." Gus told him proudly.

„All right, but you forgot one part though."

„Which one?"

„That this Officer Demski is the man that was in my dad´s house the other night. It had been his shoes that left the marks on the floor. He had the right size and I also saw a part of a pattern in the print he left. That was before I stepped on it myself and erased it."

„And with that you can still be sure?" Gus asked.

„Trust me." Shawn assured him. „It was him."

„Okay. So what´s that telling us? They ran together and now one of them is dead. Where is the missing part?"

„The missing part is the motivation." Shawn explained. „Why did my dad go with him in the first place? When we find that out, we´re getting closer to our answer."

„I just don´t understand, why he is still on the run, after his partner is dead." Gus mused. „Why isn´t he going to the police?"

„Maybe he can´t. Maybe the murderer is still after him."

„But that is even more reason to go to the police." Gus argued. „They would protect him."

„Dude. They think he is the suspect." Shawn tried to help Gus to get his drift. He looked at him meaningful, waiting for the stone to roll, expecting it every second.

„You mean, he tries to find the man himself?" Gus finally guessed.

Shawn threw up one hand in victory.

„That´s ridiculous, Shawn." Gus argued.

„Why? Its the perfect explanation. Its like the Bourne Identity. He is alone and has no one he can trust, so he takes it into his own hands."

„He has no one he can trust?" Gus repeated. „He has us. And a couple of dozens of old colleagues from the police and in other departments of the law enforcement. The man knows half Santa Barbara."

„Dude." Shawn cried disappointed. „Neither of them knows about this secret of his." he defended his theory. „And of course he don´t know if they are not a part of the conspiracy."

„Conspiracy, Shawn? Really? I think you should go home and rest. You lost your mind, dude."

„Okay, maybe there is not directly a conspiracy but there is a situation."

„You bet there is one." Gus agreed but not because he agreed with Shawn´s outrageous ideas.

„Exactly." Shawn said. „And now he doesn´t know who he can trust, because everybody thinks he is guilty. Everybody would take him over to the police immediately."

„Would you?"

„Of course not."

„That´s what I mean. Even if he doesn´t come to the police. Why isn´t he coming to us?"

Shawn had to think about it for a moment but it took him only a few seconds. „He don´t want to endanger us." he said. Gus just snorted.

„No, Gus." Shawn cried excited. „Don´t you see it? That´s exactly the part we missed until now. You put your finger right at the point. Why didn´t I think of that at once?"

„No, Shawn." Gus demanded and tried to keep Shawn from jumping up and down with his raised finger. „Don´t you dare." he warned him. „Don´t you dare taking only ten percent of that craziness on me. I said nothing like that."

„But that´s it." Shawn insisted. „That was the motive, all along. Somebody tries to silence him. They got Demski and now they are after my dad. That´s it. We solved the case."

„No, we didn´t. We still don´t know where he is and who is after him."

„But now I can tell Lassie and Jules that my dad is innocent and can explain why." Shawn said. „Besides. We _do_ know where he is."

„What?" Gus jumped up. „Where?"

„At the Stearns Wharf." Shawn said matter of factly.

„What? How do you …?"

Shawn presented the little walkie talkie he always used to listen to the police radio activities. A squeaking voice came out of it, that reported the wanted boat had been found and then transmitted the number and description of it and its position at the farthest point of the Stearns Wharf. Shawn looked over the walkie talkie like someone in a bar would look over the edge of his glass. He grinned.

...

Detective Lassiter got out of his car, a second after he´d stopped it. O´Hara had to hurry to catch up with him. She reached him, when he had reached McNab. The young officer was already watching the boat. After the report had dropped in, Lassiter had ordered to wait for them, before anyone should approach the boat. The officers should just watch it and make sure that the wanted person would not leave. Even the coast guard had been mobilized, in case Henry Spencer should try to get away across the sea.

It wasn´t that he really believed Henry to be a dangerous suspect. He only didn´t like it to be tricked and he wanted this guy in a cell and where he could see him. He wanted answers from him. This time he wouldn´t get away anymore.

„Tell me something." he ordered McNab.

„He is on the boat." the young man told him.

„You affirmed his identity?" Lassiter asked. He didn´t doubt this particular detail, he just went through the routine.

„Yes sir." McNab said. „I had a clear vision on him at least two times. Its him."

„All right then …"

„Ehm." McNab interrupted him again.

„What?" „I just think … Well, I guess he noticed us."

Lassiter threw a look over to the end of the pier, where he could see the small boat, tied at the end of the stairs that led down to the water. He nodded. That was expected. Of course Henry had noticed the observation of his boat. The man was an ex-cop. You don´t trick someone like that so easily.

„Give me your binoculars." Lassiter demanded and McNab handed it over.

Lassiter looked through it, searched the boat for a moment and then found it. McNab was right. There he was. Behind his steering wheel, his eyes affixed on the land. It was too far even with the binoculars to tell what kind of an expression there was on his face, but Lassiter was quiet sure, that he looked at their position.

„Right." he affirmed. „He knows we are here."

„Oh, no." O´Hara suddenly said. Lassiter and McNab followed her eyes and spotted the two black cars, that arrived in this very moment. The doors went open and a bunch of men in black suits followed the one agent Johnson, who had been in charge to transfer Danilo Alvarez to the FBI headquarters.

„What do _they_ want here?" McNab asked.

„Still a federal case, remember?" Juliet explained with rolling eyes.

„No way." Lassiter said through gritted teeth. „We did the work and we found him. This is our man."

„And we are grateful for your work, detectives." Johnson called from ahead. „But now we take over."

Lassiter exchanged a startled glance with O´Hara, before he faced the FBI agent again.

„I have very good ears." the man told him.

„Agent Johnson." Juliet tried to comunicate. „We know Henry Spencer and he knows us. He works for our department. It would make things easier if you´d let us take him in." When Johnson truly seemed to think about her words she added. „You can take him afterwards." Lassiter gave her a look and she added to her addition: „Of course, he´ll rather talk to us than to men he doesn´t know. We could cooperate, couldn´t we?"

Lassiter sighed quietly and then looked at Johnson who looked right back at him. Finally the FBI agent nodded.

„All right." he said. „Get him here. Then we´ll see how we proceed." He seemed to notice that Lassiter was suspicious about that and said: „I´m not the big bad FBI guy who wants to take away your cases, detective. We´re on the same side. All I want is to solve that case satisfying for everybody."

„Ehm, maybe we should hurry." McNab suggested. He had looked through his binoculars again. „He´s doing something."

„What?" Lassiter and Johnson asked unisono.

McNab looked at them unsure. The two men exchanged a glance and Johnson made a gesture to allow Lassiter to go ahead. After that was clear, they both faced McNab and he went on.

„I … just looked at him again." he explained. „You know, just to make sure, we wouldn´t miss something."

„What is he doing?" Lassiter rushed him and took his binoculars without waiting for the answer.

„I don´t know." McNab answered anyway. „I can´t make it out. He moves around as if looking for something."

Lassiter saw nothing but the moving shape of Henry Spencer behind the window of his boat. Whatever he was doing, he seemed alarmed. Nervous. Lassiter threw the binoculars back into McNab´s chest and the young Officer flinched to catch it.

„We go in." Lassiter decided.

„What did you see?" O´Hara wanted to know.

„Nothing. But I´ve got a bad feeling. Let´s go."

„We´ll wait for you." Johnson promised and made Lassiter stop and look back at him one last time. He gave him a nod and Lassiter mirrored it. Then he and O´Hara went on. Halfway to the end of the pier, Lassiter took the megaphone.

„Henry Spencer!" he called. „This is detective Lassiter. Step off your boat and surrender peacefully." They waited a moment but there was no reaction. „We´ll have to come and take you, if you don´t come out yourself." Lassiter called.

In that moment a shot rang out and the two detectives ducked down and took cover behind some boxes, that were stored on the pier.

„Dammit, Henry, don´t be a fool!" Lassiter called. A second shot answered his words.

„I don´t believe that he´ll shoot us." O´Hara hissed.

„I know." Lassiter grumbled. „He just wants to scare us."

He was still trying to decide how to go on when he heard squeaking tires behind him. When they turned around, they saw one of the FBI vehicles moving in rapidly. The car was probably armoured and Johnson thought he would help them with that action. Lassiter cursed and tried to gesture them to stop before they would cause a disaster. But in that moment, the disaster had already occurred. Lassiter had expected this disaster to be a starting boat and then a chase across the sea or something like that. But what happened instead took even his breath away. The boat and everything and everyone on board, went off in a huge and bright explosion. Looking at this king sized blaze made Lassiter´s heart stop for at least a couple of seconds. Then everything was over.

...

„This was your fault, Johnson!" Lassiter yelled. „I told you we´d handle that. Why didn´t you stay behind as you promised? I thought your word is so worthy for you FBI guys."

„The man shot at you." Johnson justified his decision. „I wanted to help."

„Oh yes, you helped us." Lassiter shot at him. „You helped us to a dead suspect. Congratulations, special agent. I´m sure your Bureau is quiet proud of you."

„Detective!"

„I´ll personally make sure that you´ll be hold responsible for that."

„There was nothing we could have done."

„You could have let us do our job."

The argument went on, but Juliet only heard it from far away. She had heard the voices of the two angry men the way like someone who lived next to the street, heard the passing cars. It was just white noise. The only thing that she could see, was the burned out boat that was still on its place at the end of the pier. The firefighters had put out the flames and now all that was left of it was some smoke. The forensics were still busy there but soon they would bring Henry to land. She just couldn´t believe that this really happened.

Lassiter and Johnson were done with each other for now and the background noise decreased. The two cars started and drove off. Shortly after they were gone, another car approached. Juliet recognized the sound of the motor in a corner of her mind, but was still too stunned to explain why or even pay attention to it. But then she heard voices. Familiar voices. Where had she heard them before? And then it hit her like a bolt of lightening. She swirled around and saw two very startled looking men named Shawn and Gus.

„What happened here?" Gus asked worried.

„Jules?" Shawn called her name. He obviously realized that something was wrong and was about to pass her to have a look at the boat. That was the moment when Juliet woke up. At least enough to react in time. She stepped into his way and hold him back.

„Don´t." was all she managed to say. „Don´t go there."

Shawn chuckled at her but it was a nervous chuckle. „Jules." he said. „What is that? I … I sensed that my dad was here and … He is here, right?"

She wanted to say something but just didn´t find the right words. This lack of an explanation only made Shawn more nervous. He walked around her but this time it was Lassiter who stepped in his way. Not fast enough to prevent him from seeing the burned out boat but at least fast enough to stop him from going closer to it.

„You stay right here, Spencer." he said. He made sure – or at least did his best – to block Shawn´s vision at the stretcher that was now rolled back to land.

It worked. For at least ten seconds. Then the forensics passed them and there was absolutely no way, that he would miss the meaning of that. His eyes followed the shape inside of the black bag as if he was hypnotized. When his head had reached the point where it couldn´t turn any longer, his body tried to follow. He trembled over his own feet and finally fell down on his butt. Lassiter who had tried to give him a hand but too late, could just stand there and look down at him. Shawn was still completely stunned. The only difference was, that he was now sitting on the ground. Gus didn´t seem to notice that. He looked after the men, that brought Henry´s body away, in a similar shocked way.

O´Hara exchanged a look with Lassiter and for the first time since she knew the two of them, she saw compassion for Shawn in her partner´s eyes. Though he definitely had it much better under control than she had. Two big tears rolled down her cheeks.

„I´m so sorry, Shawn." she brought out.

Finally Shawn´s head moved again. He ripped his eyes off the distant men and the stretcher and looked down as if he tried to remember something. Then he suddenly jumped up.

„I have to see the body!" he cried.

Juliet raised a shaking hand but he ignored her. „I need to see him." he said and just walked around her again. Lassiter grabbed his arm but he struggled. „Let me go." he demanded and wrenched his arm free from the grip. But Lassiter wouldn´t give up so easily.

„Spencer!" he said and tried to grab him again.

„No!" Shawn cried. „I need to see him. Don´t you understand? I have to …"

„No, Spencer! You don´t want to …" He blocked his way and they struggled again. „Spencer you … Shawn!" he finally yelled into his face grabbing both of his shoulders so he had to look at him.

Maybe it was the sudden yell, maybe the fact that Lassiter had used his first name what he never did or maybe it was just the fact that his legs weren´t as half as strong anymore than he wanted them to be, but that yell broke the curse. He looked into the detective´s face and the usually so hard and poking eyes were now soft and gentle. Lassiter shook his head in empathy.

„Believe me." he said sternly. „You don´t wan´t to see that."

Now Shawn truly felt how much his legs had started to shake. All his energy went away from him and he even trembled and probably would have fallen again, if Lassiter hadn´t grabbed his arm to stabilize him. Gus came over to them but he didn´t say a word. He was still stunned. When Shawn looked weak and done, then Gus looked just sick. Lassiter had seen reactions like that before but it surely was a difference when it came about people you knew.

He padded Shawn´s shoulder and then turned him around to lead him back to land. Gus would manage the way on his own, but Shawn seemed so absent minded right now – almost like a sleep walker – that he rather walked him back.

„Come on, Spencer." he said quietly. „We´ll give you a ride home."


	7. Aftermath

**Aftermath**

„I can´t believe this really happened." O´Hara sighed from her side of the office.

Lassiter looked over to her. She had spoken so quietly that he had barely understood her but of course he knew what she said. He didn´t say a word in response. There was nothing he could say anyway. Besides he didn´t think she would really expect him to say something. Her eyes were still somewhere else. It was a wonder how she could be so full of compassion for Henry Spencer´s death. Sure he was a coworker but that was it. Lassiter on the other hand, had much more experience with the man and he didn´t feel the grief he should feel. Not that he didn´t regret what happened or that he didn´t care. Henry Spencer had been a difficult person to handle and most of all he had been the father of always annoying Shawn Spencer. But he had been a good man and he definitely didn´t deserve to go like that. But still Lassiter couldn´t bring himself to turn his attention to the emotional part of the case. Not just yet.

Sure technically the case was closed. Johnson and his FBI guys had packed their stuff and left. Their report would be written at their own headquarters and the S.B.P.D. would probably never see it. For them the case just solved itself. All their actors were dead and the curtain closed. Act finished. Only that it didn´t quiet feel that way for Lassiter. But there he seemed to be the only one. He´d never seen O´Hara look so tired after a shifts end.

„You know what?" he said. „I´ll finish the paper work. Go home. Rest."

Usually she might have objected, he knew. But it was half past seven and their shift had been over long ago. She was exhausted, physically and even more emotionally. She nodded gratefully and stood up. Before she was out he called after her: „I see you tomorrow."

That was nothing but a little gesture of comfort. When there was anything that helped to cope with traumatic events, then it was the daily routine. He knew that. It had helped him after he had been freshly separated from his wife. It seemed to work now too. O´Hara halted for a moment and then managed something that could have been a smile, if it hadn´t looked like gritted teeth behind closed lips. But she nodded and this nod was a little stronger than before. Then she left.

The door closed itself behind her and then the station seemed abandoned. It wasn´t. There were still some officers and detectives around. The night shift was there but it always seemed as if the whole building was empty during the night shift. The sounds were muffled and barely someone walked through the halls. Lassiter turned his seat around and rested his chin in his hand. His eyes swept the board where he and O´Hara had collected the evidences that had led them to Henry and this mysterious officer Demski. All the pictures of dead persons. Now all of them that hung there, were dead. What an end for a case. Not that Lassiter couldn´t cope with a suspect ending up dead instead of in a cell, especially when they tried to avoid to get arrested. But usually it should be a justified bullet out of his gun who would cause that end. A suspect that blew himself up before the police (or the FBI in this case) could get to him, was just not satisfying. The whole case was not satisfying.

Something was wrong with this picture, he knew that. He just knew it. Things turned out to be far too easy at the end. They worked on this case not longer than three days. Something that seemed to have the potential for the case of a lifetime. A secret from the past, a missing police officer, a possible involvement of a sect or something similar … and now it was already over. What was wrong with this picture? A murder suspect in six cases from twenty-fife years ago, an ex-cop after all, kills his partner, who actually never really was his partner if one looked closer, and before he can be arrested for his crimes, he commits suicide? That was too much like a bad TV-show.

Damn. He missed something. There was a point he didn´t see yet. Something he overlooked. For a second but really just a second, he wished Spencer here and his hyperactive observation skills. But he dismissed that idea immediately, only a nanosecond after the thought had come up. Even if he would accept the possibility that Spencer could in any way help him with that, the man was not in the condition to do anything but sleep right now. He had looked terrible on the way back to his home. The whole way he had been quiet, more than unusual for Spencer and that was already enough for Lassiter to know that the man was done. In some days he might be responsive again. Until then he would do what all dependants did. Mourning and trying to get over it.

But there had to be something else about that case. There was a little tickling in the back of Lassiter´s head that wouldn´t let him rest until he at least tried to figure that out. If Spencer would be here, he would probably try to call this tickling a spontaneous supernatural suggestion. But Lassiter just called it a cop´s instinct. And this instinct told him, that he wouldn´t find his answer by sitting here on his desk and starring at the information he already knew. So he got up, took his jacket and left. Not to go home, like O´Hara. He was far from a need for rest. But there was something he guessed he could do before he finished for today. If Henry Spencer truly was the one, everybody seemed to think he was – a cold blooded murderer that only pretended to be a cop for over thirty years – then there had to be something in his house that proved it. People could lie. But there was one thing you could be sure about especially when it came about murderers. They always kept something. A souvenir, a weapon, something they couldn´t part with no matter how well they knew that it could backstab them badly, should it ever be found. They always kept something. And Henry Spencer was a man that never threw anything away. If there was anything to find in his house that proved he really murdered those people, then Lassiter might find himself able to let this case go. Until then this little part in the back of his head would resist to do so. He had known the man. He had worked with him and he just refused to believe that someone could have tricked him so badly without him noticing it.

It was already dark when he reached the house. He parked the car at the curbside and got out. The house was officially marked as the home of a dead suspect and that meant he had the right to go in there if he thought it necessary. He remembered that Henry had had a key under the plant at the door – he hadn´t showed him, Lassiter had spotted it by accident on that day when they had eaten the fish they had caught. Unbelievable how many years had passed since then. But he was sure the key was still there. Henry was also a man of habits and a guy like that didn´t change things. Lassiter would use that key to get in.

But when he reached the door, he found it unlocked and when he looked around he suddenly noticed that there was light on. Very low light. He hadn´t seen it before because someone had closed the curtains and it was barely bright enough to call it the intensity of candle light. Someone was in there and he didn´t want anyone to know about it.

In that moment Lassiter heard a thud as if something heavy was just dropped inside. He pulled his gun and sneaked in. The living room was a mess. Everywhere there were things lying and standing around as if someone had tried to find something. Though the light was a little brighter than he had expected from outside. The curtains seemed to be thicker than he thought. But still it was a gloomy light.

He heard footsteps and prepared himself. When the intruder came around the corner, a box in his hand, Lassiter aimed at him. He was about to shout `Freeze!´ when he realized it was Shawn. The boy jumped when he saw Lassiter and dropped the box he was holding.

„Spencer, what are you doing here?" Lassiter asked him.

„This is my father´s house." was Shawn´s answer.

Lassiter exhaled and put his gun away. Obviously he had underestimated Shawn´s stamina. It was only three hours ago, since he had dropped him at his appartement and back then he had believed he wouldn´t come out of bed on his own the next three days. Now Shawn bend down to pick up the box and its contents. Old useless stuff and a few papers. Lassiter walked over to the light switch.

„Why are you working in such a darkness?" he asked and switched the headlights on.

Shawn who had just stood up again, squinted and groaning turned his face away from the light. „That´s why." he said.

Lassiter frowned and went over to him. His first assumption had been that he was drunk, but there was no smell of alcohol or anything. Shawn put the box down on the table and then straightened (though in a tired way) to face him. He tried to put on a face as if to ask: Satisfied? But it didn´t work. The red eyes and the worn out look they showed, betrayed him. Lassiter almost couldn´t believe it. Shawn made an annoyed face, as if to say: Don´t say it.

„What do you want here, Lassiter?" he asked and turned to the box. He sat down on a part of the sofa that wasn´t already covered with stuff and other boxes, exactly like the biggest part of the floor.

„This is the house of a departed suspect." Lassiter explained. „I have a right to investigate it."

„My father didn´t commit a crime." Shawn cried angry and jumped up. Lassiter raised both hands to calm him down and Shawn truly seemed to notice that he overreacted. He thought a moment and then added more rational: „And for all I care, he isn´t even dead. The man you took off that boat … that wasn´t him."

Lassiter hesitated but Shawn didn´t seem to care if he believed him or not. He just turned his attention back to the box on the table and started to look through it. Lassiter was not sure what to think. It was not that uncommon that dependants refused to accept the truth. But that was not an ordinary dependant. So instead of just dismissing this statement, like he would have done it with everybody else, Lassiter asked: „How do you know that?"

„I just know." Shawn snapped back without looking up.

Lassiter made himself put all his prejudice away and suggested: „Because you saw it in a vision?"

„No." Shawn replied and let go of the box. He looked at him angry and hurt. „I just know it." he said. „I don´t care if you believe me or not."

Lassiter raised both eyebrows. That was something new. He had given him the most possible cue to pretend one of his acts, or at least a made up story about a vision. But he had refused it. He truly was serious about it.

„Actually …" Lassiter started. „I _do_ believe you." Shawn looked up in surprise and he added: „I don´t think your father is dead either."

„Did the autopsie say so?" Shawn asked after a few seconds of taking this in. „No, there is no autopsie before tomorrow morning."

„Then why … ?"

„Because I have something that´s called instinct and my instinct tells me that something about this whole story is terribly wrong." He explained Shawn the same line of thoughts he had had at the station. „I came here to see if I could find something to give me a clue." he finished. „Seems we had the same idea."

Shawn nodded, his eyes down. It was pretty obvious that he had tried to find something that proved his theory of Henry still being alive and more important how he could find him. Lassiter put down the box that occupied the armchair and sat down.

„I have to admit I´m impressed by your persistence." he said. Then he suddenly realized that he hadn´t seen a car or motorcycle outside. „How did you come here?" he asked.

„I walked."

„From your appartement?"

„Yeah."

Lassiter rubbed his forehead. That was serious. He had to be careful how to go on, if he didn´t want Shawn to back off immediately after the first wrong word.

„Listen." he said. „He was … IS your father. You know him better than anyone else. I know that this case is not as simple as the FBI believes. I know that your father used to be a good cop and I don´t believe that he murdered those people. But someone did and this someone might be after him now."

Shawn nodded. „That´s what I thought, too." he agreed. Now he seemed to wake up again.

„All right." Lassiter said leaning forward. „You already looked around here that means you are ahead of me."

Shawn peered over to him as if he was thinking. Then he raised his hand to the level of his head. It looked like an offer.

„I could …" he said shrugging but Lassiter stopped him with a gesture.

„No." he demanded. „Not this time. Skip that act only one time in your life, all right? We´re alone. Just tell me what you have so far."

„Honestly?" Shawn asked and put his hand down. „I have nothing. Absolutely nothing." He stood up and made a gesture to show the whole room. „I looked through all of this stuff and I found nothing."

„You know something." Lassiter claimed and stood up as well.

„Did you just listened to me?" Shawn asked. „I said …"

„And I said, you know something." Lassiter repeated. „You just didn´t get it out yet. Cause you are blocked. You are still grieving. And that though you know that your father is not dead. You are emotional involved and that blocks your perception. Stop thinking, Spencer. Pretend it is not about your father."

„How the hell am I supposte to do that?" Shawn cried.

„Focus." Lassiter demanded. „Concentrate, dammit. You already have it in here." he pointed at Shawn´s head. „You just refuse to pull it out. We have six dead people who died twenty-fife years ago, assumedly all members of the same group. One police officer arrested a member, a second the brother of another member. A couple of weeks later they all are burning. What happened between those events? What led to that conclusion?"

„Wow wow, slow down." Shawn said. His eyes moved rapidly while he was thinking. „For what crime was that brother arrested?" he wanted to know.

„Attempted rape as far as I know."

„Was he convicted?"

„No." Lassiter answered grumbling. „They couldn´t prove his guilt. He went free." Now it was him who began to think rapidly. „Wait a minute." he mumbled and rushed over to Henry´s computer.

„What are you doing?" Shawn asked and followed him.

Lassiter put the computer on. „I want to get into the files." he explained. „They are in the system of the Intranet of the department. I think I remembered something."

„What?" Shawn wanted to know cowering next to Lassiter´s chair.

„You see it soon." Lassiter promised. The computer was still coming up.

„That takes too long." Shawn said impatient. „What do you remember?" When Lassiter didn´t answer but insisted on waiting for the computer, he slapped him at the arm. „Hey!" he cried and made him look at him. „You wanted me to focus, now I need you to do the same. What do you remember?"

„That´s not the way I work." Lassiter objected.

„But that´s the way I work." Shawn replied. „If you want me to do it, you have to go along. So tell me. Remember. Make guesses, use your fantasy, your tactical thinking brain, your …"

„Spencer!" Lassiter shouted. After Shawn was silenced he cocked his head and started to talk. „Officer Demski had a sister. I guess she was the one who was almost raped. So I guess, after they let the guy run free, he followed him. Either to get him for what he did or just to have an eye on him and catch him in the act, if he should do it again. I don´t know."

„He must have seen him with his brother." Shawn chipped into the musing. „Something that brought him on to the track of that rattlesnake gang."

„I´m not sure anymore that it is just a regular gang." Lassiter said. „That seems to be much bigger than what a regular gang would do."

Shawn agreed with a nod. That was the moment when Lassiter noticed for the first time this funny smell that was in the room. It had been there for a few minutes but he hadn´t payed attention until now. But it was quiet strange. Shawn saw him sniffing and did the same.

„What´s that?" Lassiter asked still sniffing.

„Dude." Shawn said and flinched. „Sorry. Its just … that you did a great imitation of Gus with that."

Lassiter gave him a face and stood up to look around. He cocked his head and listened. Wasn´t that a fizzing sound coming from the kitchen? And that sound out there. Wasn´t that …? He swirled around and looked out of the window. A shady figure stood at the corner where the kitchen windows were. He was dressed all black and was just starting a lighter.

Lassiter immediately grabbed a very startled Shawn and shoved him over to the back door. He pushed it open with his shoulder and then they flew out. Not because of his own drive, but because of the blast of the explosion that came up in that very moment. The hot wave threw them at least fife feet through the air. They landed close to the fence and rolled the rest of the way until they hit the wooden pickets.

When Lassiter opened his eyes, he saw the house burning. Somewhere on the street he heard a motor that got started. He jumped up but Shawn had been even faster. Lassiter tried to hold him back but missed him. He cursed and ran after him, pulling his gun. They saw a motorcycle rushing away the moment when they reached the front yard. Lassiter ran to his car while Shawn didn´t bother to follow him any longer. When Lassiter saw what had happened to his tires, he knew why. Two of them were flat.

„Dammit!" he yelled and hit the air with his fist. The motorcycle was gone by then.

...

Detective O´Hara jumped out of the car. She´d came here as soon as she´d gotten the call. By then she had already been in her pyjama. She guessed she´d never changed that fast her entire life. Now she halted and stared at the still burning house and the firefighters who were trying to put it out, for at least a minute before she was able to go on. The first one she spotted was her partner. He stood next to his car and was talking to someone, she couldn´t see.

„Carlton!" she cried.

When he turned around she saw that it was Shawn who was with him.

„Shawn!" she cried even more relieved. „I came here as fast as I could. What happened?"

„It seems someone had a problem with Henry Spencer´s home decoration." Carlton answered her question.

That senseless answer startled her almost as much as the fact that Shawn chuckled at it as if he would truly find it funny. Maybe they had hit their heads in the explosion, she thought. Why were the paramedics not taking care of them? She shook her head to dismiss the confusion that started to overwhelm her. Something was wrong with this picture and it wasn´t the burning house.

„Are you sure you´re all right?" she asked.

„We´re still alive." Shawn assured her.

She looked from him to her partner and back to Shawn. They both had scratches and looked wrecked. There was dirt and grass all over their clothes and Shawn seemed to have a goose egg on the side of his head. Still he was grinning. The usual confident Shawn Spencer grin, what she had not expected to see again so early after Henry´s death. But it was there. She opened her mouth to ask them what really happened, when she heard squeaking tires behind her. They all turned to the street and saw Gus´ jumping out of his car. He was so in a rush that he forgot to loose his seatbelt and got thrown back. He loosened it and then hurried over to them.

„Shawn!" he cried. Obviously he had been in bed as well, but he hadn´t bothered to change his pyjama before leaving the house like Juliet had. He had just thrown over a jacket instead. „Are you all right?" he asked his friend, completely out of breath. „What happened? Was it the gas range? I always told you that thing is a death trap."

Shawn already started to laugh when Gus suddenly grabbed and hugged him that he lost the air in his lungs. Juliet smiled and looked at her partner who just looked embarrassed. She shrugged as if to ask: What?

Shawn patted his friend´s back. „Okay, dude." he croaked. „Don´t worry. I´m okay."

Gus released him but he was still buzzing. „Dude. You almost died too. And that right after …" He stopped and Shawn´s amused grin faded a little.

„What happened?" Gus asked.

„Yeah, I´d like to know that too." O´Hara agreed facing Lassiter.

„I came here to search Henry´s house for evidence." he explained. „I just wasn´t satisfied with the whole case and wanted to make sure we didn´t miss anything. Spencer was already here, when I arrived. Unfortunately he didn´t find anything and before I even got a chance to look for myself someone blew the house up. I saw a figure through the window a moment before it happened. The man escaped on a motorcycle but not before he disabled my car." he pointed at his two flat tires with an expression of pure hatred for the man who had done this.

O´Hara and Gus stared at him and Shawn with open mouths.

„And who was that?" Gus asked, when he had found his voice again.

„No idea." Lassiter said. „He was gone too fast to recognize anything. And I doubt that he had a plate on his bike."

„You´ll find the machine in Downtown." Shawn suddenly told him with his hand on his head. „There is a little shop named … Isaak´s. There it is."

Everybody looked at him, except for Lassiter who practically stared at him wide eyed and with an open mouth. He looked as if he was ready to punch him. But he did nothing like that. He calmed himself down and looked at Shawn with a slight nodding of his head.

„You won´t tell us, how you know that, will you?" he asked.

Shawn just shrugged and smiling he let his fingers dance at the level of his temple. Lassiter rolled his eyes.

„Of course not." he groaned.


	8. A New Day

**A new day**

Shawn left the drug store and stepped out on the street. He unwrapped a lollipop and put it into his mouth before he walked on. It was a sunny day and he had already walked through the park and now he went for a little shopping. The street was full of people who were chatting and laughing. It was a nice day. Shawn raised his chin and let the sun shine on his face. The wind was warm. It felt good to be outside again. The walking had done him good too. Slowly he got a little tired though. But he wouldn´t go home yet. Not just yet. There were at least two more streets he wanted to walk down. A few more windows to have a look at, maybe a pineapple juice to drink. No, it wasn´t time to go home yet.

He threw a look at his watch. Almost twelve. He felt hungry. At the next burrito cart he stopped and got himself a snack. It tasted fabulous. While eating he watched the pedestrians walking by. A beautiful girl walked by close to him and he followed her with his eyes until she was around the next corner. Nice.

He finished his burrito and licked his fingers. On a public fountain he washed them so they wouldn´t be sticky. That was nasty. He dried them on his shirt and walked on. Now he really would get himself a pineapple juice. After that delicious burrito, he felt a sudden appetite for it. He would get himself a pineapple to go and then he would walk down the next street. It would take him somewhat around …

A hand grabbed his collar and someone pulled him into a corner between two shops. Shawn gasped in surprise. God, that was so mean. Why did he never learn it? He should have seen it coming. But again he hadn´t. His back hit the wall and he faced his attacker. Grim looking as always.

„Hi, dad." he greeted.

Henry reacted surprised. „So you knew, hm?" he said. „I should have known."

„Where have you been?" Shawn wanted to know.

„Hiding."

„Why?"

Henry gave him a look. „To make sure you are safe." he told him.

Shawn just laughed.

„Don´t laugh at me, Shawn." Henry hissed at him. „This is serious. I can´t understand why you are running around like that, after all that happened. They blew up my boat and my house for gods sake."

„You were there?" Shawn asked, now really a little shocked.

„No." Henry answered harsh. „I heard it in the news. Do you really think if I had been there, I would have stayed down while they blew up my house with you inside?"

„Who are they?" Shawn demanded to know.

„Dangerous people." was all Henry would say.

„That´s very unspecific." Shawn said.

„Well, that´s life." Henry replied.

„No, not anymore." Shawn replied himself. „You say its dangerous. Than you should probably tell me why."

„I can´t." Henry said. „It would make things even worse."

„Come on, that´s bullshit." Shawn hissed. „Talk to me."

„Shawn, I shouldn´t even be here."

„If that is so, why _are_ you here?"

„Are you kidding? You almost got killed because of me. I had no choice."

Shawn nodded. „That´s what I thought." he said. „Whatever."

„Shawn, listen. I hit the road for a reason."

„And what could that be?"

„I try to make things right, okay? The people who killed Alvarez and Demski are still out there and they will go on trying to kill me and you. But I intent to be faster then them."

„What do you mean with that?" Shawn frowned.

„What do I mean with that?" Henry echoed. „What do you think? I´ll find out who they are and arrest them. What did you think, I´d do?"

Shawn looked at his father for a moment. Then he shook his head. „I … I don´t know." he said.

Henry sighed. „Listen, Shawn. Until I found them, its dangerous for you to be on the streets like that."

„I know."

„Good. So you will stay down, understood. Take cover. Leave the city if necessary but don´t do anything before I found out who is behind that."

„Why don´t you go to the police?" Shawn asked. „Lassie and the others could help you."

„I can´t go to the police, they think I´m the suspect." Henry hissed. „I have to do that on my own. And don´t even think of following me, Shawn. This time you can´t play around."

Shawn frowned and tried to remember where he had heard that phrase before.

„I mean it, Shawn." Henry, who misinterpreted his face, said.

„Don´t worry." Shawn said. „I didn´t plan to follow you anywhere."

Henry seemed relieved. „Good." he said again. Though he was still a little unsure, what to think about his son´s unusually quick withdrawal. But since Shawn didn´t show any signs that he wanted to object, he straightened his back and gave him a nod.

„You really want to go?" Shawn asked one last time.

„I have to." Henry answered.

Shawn just shook his head in a gesture of objection. He had so hoped his old man would be reasonable. He should have known better than that.

„Listen, Shawn." Henry started but then heard quickly approaching footsteps on the street. He swirled around and saw two guns pointing at him.

„Don´t move." Lassiter demanded. „You are under arrest."

Henry immediately looked around to run away, but found himself in a perfect dead end trap. By dragging Shawn in here – here of all places – he had put himself into that trap as well.

„Don´t be a fool, Henry." Lassiter talked to him. „Its over."

Henry sighed and looked at his son. Shawn just looked back at him expressionless.

„Sorry, dad." he said.

...

„Thanks that you gave me the time to talk to him first." Shawn said.

„I wished he´d surrendered himself as well, Shawn." Juliet said. „Things like that can only end ugly. I know."

„They already are." Shawn agreed.

In the interrogation room behind the mirror, Lassiter was questioning Henry for at least half an hour now.

„And who was the body we found on your boat?" he now asked him.

„The caretaker of the marina. Jacob Holloway." Henry said. „I found him myself only a couple of minutes before your guys arrived at the Wharf. I knew I couldn´t get away without being arrested. I was trapped."

„Not enough as it seems."

„You think I did this?" Henry asked. „That I blew up my own boat?"

„Sounds like a great plan, don´t you think?" Lassiter replied. „A burned boat and a body burned up beyond recognition to take your place … The perfect get away."

„Do you think I´m a fool?" Henry snapped. „You have to, otherwise you would know that I had to expect you guys to figure out that it wasn´t me by comparing my DNA with the one of that dead guy."

Shawn threw a look at his watch. Juliet noticed the gesture.

„Gus´ shift will be over soon, won´t it?" she asked.

„It already is." Shawn replied.

„You want to call him? Tell him where you are?"

„No."

She frowned. „Why not?"

„He doesn´t need to know." He looked at her briefly and then added: „I didn´t tell him … you know."

„That your dad is still alive?" Juliet finished the sentence. „Why not?"

„Jules, you heard what my dad said." Shawn replied. „This whole thing is getting bigger and bigger. They already tried to kill me, just because we are related." He sighed. „I don´t want to put Gus in danger as well." Reluctantly he avoided her gaze but she just smiled.

„Its time you start talking to me, Henry." Lassiter said on the other side. „What happened back in 1986?"

Henry sighed. „That´s a long story." he said.

Lassiter made a wide gesture with his arms. „We have all the time we want." he said.

„I doubt that." Henry objected. „Listen. Those people are still out there. When they can´t get me, they´ll try to get my son. We don´t have much time."

„Then you better start now." Lassiter suggested.

Henry leaned forward and interlinked his fingers. He sighed. It was obvious that he didn´t like the way this talk went. Finally he nodded but not in a way someone nodded to agree. He nodded as if he thought: I knew it. Lassiter didn´t give anything away.

„All right." Henry said and leaned back again. „First of all, I barely know what actually happened back then. I came into it when the truck was already full speed down the road."

„Just tell me what you know." Lassiter said.

Finally Henry started to talk.

...

It was in the early afternoon. The sun was still shining and people walked the promenade in hearty moods, smiling and laughing. There were a lot of couples today. Gus however felt only halfway cheered up by that beautiful day. He still thought about that traumatizing sight he and Shawn had to see yesterday. He still couldn´t believe that Henry was dead. And then this terrible fire, that almost killed Shawn and Lassiter. What would come next, he wondered.

But more he wondered how Shawn felt after a day like this. His father was dead and he himself came close too. That was nothing a man was coping with so easily. Though Shawn always pretended to be such a funny smartass but Gus knew him better than that. He would need time to get over that and he would need support. That was the reason why Gus had stopped on his way to the Psych office to buy him a burrito. The way he knew Shawn, he had probably forgotten to have lunch. He would lingering over his laptop and trying to figure out who the guy on the motorcycle had been. Shawn barely did some real work but when he did, he forgot all around him. Even eating.

Gus entered the office and found it empty. For a moment he just stood in the door, puzzled and wondering if Shawn might be just outside for a moment. Maybe to get himself something to eat after all. But no. The computer was out and the juice tubs he had lined up on his desk were also still there. He didn´t touch them since they´d left yesterday to drive over to the Wharf.

Gus felt his heart sinking again. He went over to his own desk and sat down. The office was quiet. No sound save the muffled noises from outside and the low beeping of the smoke detector. It was depressing to sit in that silence when you were used to have all that noise in here. Maybe that was the reason, why Shawn had decided not to come here. To avoid this depressing atmosphere.

Gus´ gaze wandered back to Shawn´s desk. To the juice tubs that stood there. He remembered them. One of them he had bought for him as a gift. They had been eleven back then. It was the one that looked like a monkey holding a coconut. Shawn had collected those dumb things for five years until he had forgotten about them. But as long as he was still burning for them, he had drunk his juice out of them whenever he could. Gus suddenly remembered one day in summer of 1989, when they had made a picnic. They had made it on the roof of Henry´s house. Shawn had insisted on that. He had told him they could watch the birds Gus had needed for a school speech much better from up there. So they had packed their sandwiches and juices and the tubs of course, and had climbed up there with a blanket. They had sat there for an hour or so before Henry had spottet them and chased them down. Gus hadn´t seen any birds that day, but it had been a pretty good view anyway. He had never seen the girls at the beach from that point of view before and it surely had changed his perspective for a lifetime.

Now that he thought about that he had to laugh. Shawn had known that from the beginning. Even as kids he had known what buttons he had to push to make Gus do what he wanted him to do. Climbing up a rooftop though he knew exactly that the construction was not as strong as statistics wanted them to believe, was one example. There had been hundreds and thousands of other examples until this very day, he could name if he only wanted. He always had hated the ones that had brought him trouble. The ones that brought less trouble were all right. There had been none that had been without trouble. But if he was honest, even the ones that had caused trouble were not that bad in retrospective. At least he could look back and say that he knew what he did all his life.

Shawn had been a part of this life almost since he could remember. And so was Henry. His death had caused a hole that could never be closed, Gus knew that, even if it was only twenty-four hours ago. Some things you just knew. It was a big loss for him and it had to be even worse for Shawn. Maybe he should drive to his appartement and see if he was there, he mused.

He was about to stand up, when he suddenly realized that the beeping, he heard since he came in, was not the smoke detector. It didn´t even come from the ceiling. Gus started to listen closely. What was that? He looked around. The beeping seemed to come from Shawn´s desk. Had he forgotten to put out his computer? He checked but that was not the source of the beeping. It was a steady beeping sound. One tiny beep each second. Like a clock. A digital watch? He opened the upper drawer and the next and then the last one. When he saw what was the source of the beeping, he froze but only for a second. Then his instincts took over and he ran. He had just reached the door, when the timer on the bomb counted from one to zero and went off. In the end the door was faster than Gus.

...

„All right." detective Lassiter said when he finished his last note. „And you are sure that´s all you know?" he asked for one last confirmation.

„That´s all I remember." Henry replied.

„No names or anything?"

„Detective, if I knew any of their names, don´t you think I wouldn´t have checked them out already?" Henry said.

„I´m sure you would have."

„What the hell is that supposte to mean?" Henry snapped. „I gave you the information you wanted. What else do you want?"

Lassiter stared at Henry for a few seconds but didn´t give a response. Then he stood up. „We´ll investigate the information you gave us." he said.

„You do that." Henry replied grimly. He had crossed his arms in front of his chest. „But you better hurry." he added.

Lassiter stopped at the door and looked back at him. „You could have talked to us all along, Henry." he said in an almost sad tone. Henry didn´t give a response.

Outside Shawn and Juliet were still watching. Shawn was leaning on the frame of the one-way mirror. It had been almost two hours and his legs started to get tired. He was glad that the whole thing was over now. Though the facts he had been forced to learn, were not the nicest he could have wished for. His dad had actually helped to cover up a multiple murder. The reasons didn´t make a difference. What he had done was against everything he had always taught him since he had been six years old. Shawn had never believed that his father was a perfect being or anything like that. But he had believed that the one thing Henry would never betray no matter if it would kill him, was his duty as a cop. To serve the law and to do the right thing. Shawn was not so sure if covering up the murder of six people was the best way to do that. No matter what reasons he might have had.

Lassiter now opened the door and came out. He waved for the officer at the door to bring Henry back to his cell and the man came in. When he led Henry out, Shawn couldn´t control the way he looked into his father´s eyes. Henry stopped and knew immediately that he had heard every single word. Neither of them said a word, but it was pretty obvious what each of them was thinking in that moment. The officer gave Henry a gentle shove and they walked on.

„I´m sorry, Shawn." Juliet said.

Shawn was still looking at the door, where his father had vanished through. He just nodded and gave her a husky: „Yeah."

„At least now we know some more details." Lassiter chipped in to fill the awkward silence. He hold up the notes he had made during the interrogation and started to walk. Shawn and Juliet went along with him.

„What´s about that shop in Downtown?" Shawn wanted to know, still only half aware of what he was saying himself. The facts he had just learned were still spinning in his head. The only reason why he asked that question was to make them stop – or at least slow down a little.

„McNab went over there this morning, while you were playing bait for your dad." Juliet told him. „He said there was no motorcycle."

„Damn." Shawn cursed. „So what?"

„We´ll do as I told your father." Lassiter said and placed the notes on his desk. „We´ll investigate what he gave us."

Somewhere they heard a phone ringing and then chief Vick´s voice answered the call. Neither of them was listening to what she said. Lassiter had already sat down at his computer and Shawn and Juliet still talked about the next possible step, when chief Vick suddenly came out of her office. She didn´t just walk, she rushed.

„Mr. Spencer." she addressed Shawn with a face so pale that she barely looked like herself.

„What is it?" Shawn asked puzzled and already guessed something bad.

The chief swallowed dryly before she could go on. She said: „I have bad news for you."

...

„How is he, doctor?" chief Vick wanted to know. She threw a worried glance through the window into the room where Gus lay in his sickbed. Shawn was already with him but he couldn´t talk to him. Gus was unconscious.

„We had to put him into an artificial coma." the doctor told them. „He has some raptures and his head was hit quiet badly when the flying door hit him. There are several burnings first grade but they will heal. The worst thing is the head. We´ll have to wait how the damage will develop. We already called his family but they are out of town and will probably not arrive before tomorrow."

Chief Vick and her two detectives, turned around and looked into the room. Shawn was standing next to his friend. His head was moving from time to time as if he would shrug or something. Maybe Karen had been wrong. At least one of them was talking.

„The doctors say, you´ll be out of here soon." Shawn said. „Two, three days tops. Of course they will try to talk you into staying longer but you may not fall for this. They only want to raise your bill. You know how they are. What do I tell you, you work with those people all day long. This time you can test your own medics first place. If your boss doesn´t accept that as a sign of dedication, then you should better quit and look for a better job. Somewhere where they really appreciate your dedication."

He stopped for a moment, trying not to let that sound out that tried to leave his throat. It was probably the third time now, that he had to bite his lip, to keep it where it was. To see his best friend since childhood lying there unconscious, with hoses everywhere and this steady beeping from the machines that watched his vital signs, was not easy to stand. Gus. His friend, almost his brother. The reasonable thinker in each and every situation they could get in. The one who always tried to talk him out of the stupid ideas he had. He probably would have gotten himself killed a dozen times by now if Gus hadn´t been there to stop him in time. Now he wouldn´t be there to stop him and he wouldn´t try to talk him out of it either. He couldn´t. And that was his fault.

„I know, you´ll kill me when you wake up." Shawn said with a nervous shaking laughter. „I can´t blame you, dude. This time I really messed up."

The door opened and a nurse peeked in. „I´m sorry but the visiting hour is over." she said.

„Coming." Shawn replied. He turned back to Gus one last time, taking his wrist and squeezed it for a moment. „Hang in there." he said. „Just … hang in there."

Gus didn´t respond. Shawn couldn´t stand it any longer. He turned around and went out, trying desperately to not let it look like an escape. He stepped out into the hallway and let the nurse walk in. On the other end of the hall he saw chief Vick, Lassiter and Jules. They were still discussing, but for the first time in his life, Shawn was not interested in what they were saying. He still looked through the window and would probably have done that the next twelve hours if the nurse hadn´t mercifully closed the louvers. Gus´ picture was replaced by Shawn´s own reflection behind the white background. From somewhere at the other end of the hall – probably from the waiting room – he could hear the soft and humming music that came from the radio there. Sometimes it seemed that the radio intentionally played depressing music when it was set in a hospital. They played _Season in the Sun_ and that alone was enough to make Shawn wanting to bump his head against the wall.

_Good by to you my trusted friend_

_We´ve known each other since we were nine or ten_

_Together we climbed hills and trees_

_Learned of love and ABC_

_Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees_

_Goodbye my friend its hard to die …_

He leaned his forehead at the window for a moment and then the tears finally dropped out of his eyes. They hit the floor beneath and looked up at him. Like two eyes, that wanted to tell him, that something happened today. Something, you never could make undone, no matter what you did. But to know that, he didn´t need to see his own tears glittering on the floor. He had seen Gus and that was all he had needed to see. A day earlier he had thought he´d seen his dad lying dead in a black bag of the coroner.

_Good bye Papa please pray for me_

_I was the black sheep of the family_

_You tried to teach me right from wrong_

_Too much wine and too much song_

_I wonder how I´ve got along_

Shawn squeezed his eyes shut and cursed silently in his mind. He wouldn´t cry. Not here, not where everybody could see it. He was still Shawn and there was still something he could hold onto.

„Mr. Spencer!" chief Vick´s voice woke him up.

He looked up and saw her looking at him, with an understanding but demanding glance. She wanted him to come over to them. He straightened his shoulders and slightly cleared his throat. As he had told himself not more than ten seconds ago: there was still something to hold onto. His work wasn´t done yet. Slowly he walked down the hallway to where the chief, Jules and Lassie were waiting for him. The music from the radio faded with each of his steps he did but it was still playing. Reminding him on things he had always taken for granted and that were now slowly fading away right before his eyes.

_Good by my friend its hard to die_

_When all the birds are singin in the sky_

_Now that the spring is in the air_

_Pretty girls are everywhere_

_Think of me and I´ll be there_

_We had joy we had fun_

_We had seasons in the sun_

_but the wine and the song_

_Like the seasons have all gone …_


	9. Now Or Never

**Now or never**

„Mr. Spencer." chief Vick greeted Shawn when he reached her. Her eyes were totally awake, looking at him estimating. She wanted to know if he was in the condition to think. He was – sort of.

„I will post two officers at Mr. Guster´s room." she told him now. „The assassine might come back to finish his work."

„Why should he?" Shawn asked. „He placed this bomb to get me, not Gus."

„We can´t be sure about that, Mr. Spencer." the chief objected. „Detective Lassiter thinks that the assassine might be after you both, because you worked on this case together. You´re right. He will come after you as well, but first he will try to finish Mr. Guster, cause he´s the easier target right now."

Shawn was startled for a moment. Until this moment he hadn´t even thought that far. But then he shook his head again.

„He probably believes that he got him." he said. He turned halfway around to Gus´ room. „I mean look at him. He almost _did_ get him. He has to believe that he is dead."

„He won´t." chief Vick said matter of factly.

Shawn frowned. „How can you be so sure?" he asked and then chuckled slightly. „Its … Its my part to be sure of impossible things."

Chief Vick threw a short glance at Lassiter. Shawn looked from her to him and saw something in their eyes, he didn´t like. Even Jules looked at him kind of funny. What the hell was going on between them? Were they up to something? He tried to figure out what it could be but failed. If he had needed another prove for how much this event had shaken him up, he had it now.

„Mr. Spencer." chief Vick started. „We will give information to the press so they will report about the attempt on Mr. Guster´s life on TV. They will state that there is a possible involvement of higher crimes and we will explicitly mention that he survived."

„What?"

„We hope that the killer will see the news and …"

„You want to use my best friend as a bait?" Shawn snapped much louder than necessary.

„Spencer, he already is a bait." Lassiter chipped in.

Shawn turned to him and for a moment he didn´t know what to say. Lassiter´s gaze was not arrogant and dismissive as usually. He looked at him reasoning and emphatic, as if he wanted to say: think of it and try not to be a fool for a change. But this time it wasn´t about him fooling around. It was about Gus and Shawn just couldn´t allow that his life would be endangered even more than it already was.

„I´m a much better bait." he said. „Use me. I can do the same thing I did to lure my dad out of his hiding place."

„No way." Lassiter denied. „Letting you walk around with a target on your back? Forget it. In here we at least know the area. We just sit tight and wait for the killer to come back."

„No!" Shawn objected.

„Yes, we will."

„No, you won´t."

„Spencer!"

„Detective." chief Vick interrupted them and then turned to Shawn again, musing. Lassiter noticed the change in her face and grimaced as if in pain.

„Oh, chief no!" he cried. „Don´t do that. You know where this leads to."

She raised a hand to silence him, still looking at Shawn. „Mr. Spencer, if I am supposte to agree to that offer, I need to know what you have in mind." she said. Shawn was about to say something but she was not finished: „And I need your promise, that you will fully cooperate. No one-man-improvements. Are we clear?"

„Absolutely." Shawn assured her.

„Chief, you can´t be serious." Lassiter said.

„Actually I was unhappy about the idea of endangering Mr. Guster and other patients from the beginning." she told him.

„Chief, he is a civilian." Lassiter argued. „It is against all regulations."

„Ooww I sense something." Shawn cried with his hand on his temple.

Lassiter dropped his head in exasperation. „Not again." he groaned.

„Yeah, I see it." Shawn went on without paying attention to him. Chief Vick and Juliet were listening very closely. He said: „There is a Santeria shop, right over the street of that garage in Downtown."

„Yeah, that´s true." Juliet affirmed. „McNab mentioned it."

„Spencer." Lassiter said and looked at him with peeking eyes. „We had an agreement about that."

„That was before my office went off with my best friend in it." Shawn replied. „And you didn´t go along anyway."

„That´s not true." Lassiter cried offended. „I went along. Just like you wanted it."

„Went along with what?" chief Vick asked confused.

Lassiter halted when he realized that he had allowed Spencer to pull him into an argument like that in front of the chief. „That´s not important." he claimed.

Chief Vick and Juliet looked from him to Shawn, with asking eyes.

„No, it isn´t." Shawn agreed. „By the way, I sense that the answer we are looking for, is in that shop." he went on. „The best thing will be, you let me go in there and let me do my thing. I´ll find out who is behind all this."

„I let you go nowhere without protection." chief Vick disagreed. When he wanted to speak up, she didn´t let him. „You are a civilian." she remembered the fact once again. „I can´t let you go alone. One detective has to go with you." To Lassiter and O´Hara she added: „If you go both, it will be far too obtrusive. I let you decide. Come to an agreement which one of you it will be."

Juliet opened her mouth to say something but Lassiter was faster. „I go." he said adamantine. „Sorry, O´Hara but these guys tried to blow me up. I owe them one."

Juliet understood immediately that it was useless to argue about that. She knew her partner and when he was in that mood he would not listen to anything she said. Besides, they were just talking about a walk into a shop. No big deal. If he wanted to do that so badly she wouldn´t stop him. She looked at Shawn asking and he nodded reassuringly.

„All right, then." chief Vick agreed.

„Perfect." Shawn said and rubbed his hands. He grinned in the well known Shawn Spencer way. „Then I´d say we meet tomorrow morning at the police station, somewhat around eleven o´clock. What do you say?"

„I say, we don´t meet tomorrow." Lassiter replied with a forced grin of his own. „We go now."

„Now?" Shawn echoed and laughed uncertain. „Don´t be silly. We can´t go now. Its already half past four."

„Chief." Lassiter started his statement. „If we let him out of our sight now, he will go there on his own without waiting for backup like an intelligent person."

Chief Vick turned to Shawn with raised eyebrows. „Would you?" she asked him. He didn´t answer but lowered his gaze in shame. That was all Karen Vick needed to know. „All right, detective." she said facing Lassiter again. „If you feel ready to go now, we´ll prepare everything for you."

Lassiter nodded and she went to the next phone to order equipment to be brought from the station to the hospital. After fifteen minutes McNab had already delivered it. It included next to walkie talkies and binoculars an earwig that Lassiter was supposte to wear, so they could listen in the whole time. While chief Vick took Shawn aside to talk into him again, to make sure he really understood the meaning of no improvisations, Lassiter got bugged with the earwig.

„He will do his … stuff again, when we are in there." he told Juliet.

„Of course he will." she replied with a not understanding shrug. „Isn´t that the reason why chief Vick agreed to send him in in the first place?"

„And that exactly is the problem." Lassiter said and wiped his hands over his face.

Juliet looked at her partner with a slight smile. After a moment she said: „You know your biggest problem is that you never stopped fighting it. Even after all these years you are not willing to accept that it could be true."

„Of course I´m not willing to accept it could be true." Lassiter said. „Because it isn´t true."

Juliet looked at him with a patient smile. „Did you ever think of trying to see it as a method?" she suggested. He looked at her as if she had talked in a foreign language but she just shrugged. „The police uses different questioning methods ever since to get suspects to talk." she argued completely reasonable. „I know you don´t believe its really psychic. But the difference is not that big if you look a little closer. His method is just a little stranger. It works. He is successful with it. He even made some suspects talk with it, faster than we would have been able to."

„O´Hara, what he does is not a method." Lassiter argued with an expression of disgust.

„It doesn´t matter what it is." she insisted. „Sometimes there are things that are … just … are. There is no evidence for it."

„Evidence is what we are looking for." Lassiter reminded her.

She looked at him estimating and thoughtful. „Maybe I should go after all." she finally said.

„What? Why?" Lassiter asked offended.

„Because with that attitude you won´t convince them." she said. „Those Santeria people are very sensitive when it comes about their beliefs. They react very offended to anybody who doubts their beliefs. They will sense that you are a doubter."

„A doubter?" he echoed. „Come on, now you´re talking like Spencer. This is not the first time I go undercover. I know how to pretend."

„But obviously not how to just believe." she hold against it.

„How am I supposte to believe in something that I don´t believe in?" he asked.

„I don´t know." she admitted. „But if you don´t find a way, they will not buy your story."

...

It was a usual Downtown street. A couple of shops, a couple of pedestrians and a couple of parked cars. One of them was a certain Ford Crown Vic that had just dropped two men at the corner and would wait there until they were back. Juliet had binoculars and the receiver for Lassiter´s earwig, so she would hear and see everything that happened in and outside of the shop. On the other side of the street there were two more civilian cars with police officers occupying them. If something should go wrong, anything, they would be ready.

Shawn and Lassiter walked down the street to the shop. To seem more like a civilian Lassiter had removed his tie. This was no real undercover mission after all so he had denied Spencer´s suggestion to wear a leather jacked and boots. He might allow Spencer to do one of his acts if necessary but he wouldn´t allow him to make him ridiculous.

„Honestly, Spencer." he now mumbled to him. They were halfway down the street to their target. „Tell me. How did you know about that Santeria shop? Have you been here last night?"

„No." Shawn answered offended. „If I´d been here, I would have bought some magical candles for my next séance."

„Oh, please." Lassiter replied with a snort. „We´re on our own now. You can tell me."

„We´re on our own?" Shawn asked with a glance at Lassiter´s ear. The earwig was invisible but of course he knew it was there. „Forget it." he said grinning. „You won´t make me talk about my deepest secrets when everybody can hear it. This is very private, detective." he added in a faked assaulted tone. Lassiter threw him a faked disappointed look in return.

„I´m surprised that you can still joke around." he then said. „After your best friend almost being killed and all."

The joy vanished from Shawn´s eyes, when he remembered Gus´ picture, how he had looked like in that sickbed. „Thanks for reminding me." he said gloomy. „I was trying to method act me into the roll we have to play. Great. Thanks a lot for your help, buddy."

Back in the car Juliet closed her eyes and shook her head. That was not a good start from her partner´s side.

The two men reached the shop and went in. A little bell rang over their heads when they opened the door and told the owner that customers had entered. The whole room was decorated with shelves. One of them was filled with porcelain figurines of saints. Another one contained vessels and jewelries that claimed to have magical powers. Next to that was a stand with candles in different colours and the matching joss sticks. Shawn tapped Lassiter´s arm with his backhand and grinned.

„Didn´t I tell you they have some?" he said.

A man in his mid thirties with black hair and a dark teint came through a door behind the register and greeted them with a friendly smile. „Welcome." he said. „What can I do for you?"

„Hi, my name is Timmy." Shawn introduced himself. „That´s my associate Jimmy. We´re here because we´re looking for a friend of mine. He maintains his motorcycle frequently in the garage on the other side."

„When this is so, why are you asking here?" the man wanted to know.

Shawn chuckled. „You got me." he said. „You see, it turns out that he isn´t quiet there right now. We can´t find him. At least not over there. But I sensed something in here that would help us find him."

„You sensed?" the man asked.

„Yeah, you see I´m a psychic. I sense things. And right now I´m getting something from you."

He looked the man over and spotted some dirt under his fingernails. „You were working in the garden not long ago. Picking … plants. Magical plants."

„I have a little patch in the backyard." the man affirmed but didn´t seem fully convinced though. He looked at Shawn as if he tried to figure out if he was trying to mock him.

„You don´t believe him, do you?" Lassiter asked and made Shawn flinch inwardly. „I can understand that. I was sceptical too when I first met him. I always wondered why God would give something like that to such a put on, immature idiot like that. But he did. His gift is real. I saw it."

Outside in her car, after her first shock, Juliet was positively surprised about what she had heard. She only hoped that the shop owner would buy it. Even in her ears it had sounded a little too much. But she trusted Carlton and his instincts.

In the shop Shawn looked at him completely taken aback. For him it had been absolutely unexpected to get such a support from Lassiter. Then he spottet something behind the detective. It was the window putty at the shop window. It was clean and white, far too new for an old shop like that. Immediately Shawn raised his hand again.

„Oh, I sense violence in here." he said. „Not long ago. Destruction." He looked at the man as if he just understood. „Somebody broke your window." he said.

Now the man looked truly surprised. „That´s true." he said. „We had to renew it. How do you know?"

„I also feel your pain because of the money you had to spend for it." Shawn added. „That sure was not easy for you. Some people just don´t understand what you are doing here. They call it voodoo but they just don´t understand. Believe me. I know the feeling."

The man nodded. „Maybe I can help you find your friend." he said at last. „Please, come with me. I want to show you something."

He went back to the door behind the cash register. Shawn and Lassiter exchanged a glance. Then they followed him. He led them trough a short hallway. At the end of it, there was another room. He opened the door and entered it. „I want to show you something." he repeated. „Its in here."

Shawn and Lassiter followed him inside.

Outside in the car, O´Hara suddenly lost the signal of Carlton´s earwig. She tried to tune the receiver to get it back but it didn´t work. What the hell had happened? There had been nothing that would cause a malfunction like this. They had only entered another room. Why should that disturb the signal? She wanted to get out of the car but stopped herself from doing so. No. Not yet. A malfunctioning signal was no reason to lose the head. Things like that could happen and the two of them had just made some progress. If she would run in now, she would destroy that again. No. She would wait. Just a little longer. If the signal was not back in the next five … no, ten minutes – stay calm Juliet – she would set the backup team in alarm and go in herself, to make sure if it was really necessary to storm the shop. She would pretend to be a friend of Shawn and Carlton – Timmy and Jimmy she recalled with a smirk – and that she was looking for them. That was simple enough to work. But not before she had waited ten more minutes. Give them some time. They are professionals. Both of them.

In the shop, Shawn and Lassiter were completely unaware of the malfunctioning earwig. Since the system was not for two way communication, Lassiter had noticed no difference. The shop owner had led them to some sort of a shrine. He guessed that the man wanted Spencer to do some mambo jambo for him, before he would tell them anything about the man they were looking for. For gods sake if it had to be. He would be able to stand that too.

„Did I understand you correct, that you are looking for a man that rides a red motorcycle?" he asked them for confirmation.

Lassiter was surprised. Would he come straight to the point after all?

„Yes." Shawn said. „That is correct. He used to …"

In that moment Lassiter heard a sound behind him. Someone else was in this room with them and it was not just one person. Now he realized that this room had no windows and that it was also quiet shady. He had put that on the atmosphere in this shop in general but now he realized that it was intended to be that way. That way they couldn´t see who was hiding in the corners.

Spencer became nervous too. He looked around and when he looked at a point behind Lassiter, his eyes widened. That was the moment when Lassiter heard the sound of a gun being cocked. He threw a look at the shop owner´s face and knew that they had lured them back here, to get rid of them in silence. He cursed in silence over his own stupidity to fall for such a trick. It was a rookie´s mistake not to check the corner behind the door, for gods sake. But that didn´t matter any more. It had happened and now he had to deal with it.

Slowly he raised his hands as if to surrender. When he was at the level of his chest, he quickly pulled his own gun and swirled around. A lost course from the beginning. He had barely enough time to see that they were three. Their guns were all aiming straight at him, cocked and ready to fire. He hadn´t even spun around halfway, when the first of the three men pulled the trigger and shot him. He could feel the hot pain when the bullet ripped through his flesh and somewhere behind him Spencer was shouting his name. His own gun fell to the ground, completely unused.


	10. You Are Psychic?  Prove It!

**You are a psychic? – prove it!**

Juliet threw another look at her watch. Now it had been ten minutes. Long enough. She radioed to the chief that she would go in and got out of the car. On the other side of the street her colleagues were waiting. One of them threw her a short glance when she passed the corner and then kept reading his newspaper. O´Hara walked along the sunny street and made herself smile as if she was just enjoying a short walk. When she reached the Santeria shop, she halted in front of it and looked around as if she would be unsure if she was at the right place. While she did this she checked if she could see Shawn or Carlton inside, but she couldn´t. Then she walked in.

A young woman with long black hair, wearing a summer dress with flowers on it, stood behind the register and greeted her with a friendly smile. Juliet smiled back at her.

„I´m sorry." she said. „I´m looking for my boyfriend. He and his friend wanted to meet me here … in this street somewhere. They mentioned that here was a Santeria shop so I would find it. I was wondering if you saw them."

„Depend on." the woman said. She had a strong accent. „How dey look?"

Juliet described them but only got a headshake. „Are you sure?" she asked frowning. „I talked to him on the cell phone about ten minutes ago. He said he wanted to have a look in here to see if you sell purple candles. They were not here?"

„I not see anyone." the woman repeated.

O´Hara became nervous. Outside chief Vick who had heard everything over O´Hara´s earwig, was alarmed as well. Her men had taken positions all around the building, they watched every exit of the building and none of them had seen Lassiter or Shawn coming out. They had to be in there.

„Could you ask your colleagues, please?" O´Hara tried one last time.

„I alone tu-day." the woman claimed.

„That´s enough." chief Vick decided. „We go in. Everybody move. O´Hara, we´re coming in." she told her and then pulled her own gun.

Inside the shop Juliet did the same. The woman raised her hands in fear. „Don´t move." O´Hara told her. „S.B.P.D. Now tell me where they are!"

„I not know." the woman claimed.

The team reached the door and got in. Juliet had noticed the door behind the register and headed for it. She ordered the woman to stay down and then opened the door. The hallway behind it was shady and empty. Two of the officers secured the shop and two others followed her. The door at the end of the hallway was locked.

„S.B.P.D. Open the door!" she demanded. No one answered.

She gave the officers behind her a nod, stepped back and then broke the door with a direct kick. It flew open very easily and banged against the wall with a cracking sound. Inside it was dark. One of the men switched on a flashlight and went in first. O´Hara followed him. After she had quickly checked the surroundings she looked for the light-switch. She found it and pushed it. The room was filled with boxes and cases and in the corner there was a little shrine. But other than that the room was empty.

„Save." she reported with unhidden disappointment and turned back to the door. „There must be another room." she said and walked out. Chief Vick had just reached her, an asking look on her face that she could only answer with a brief headshake.

„Detective O´Hara." the officer with the flashlight called her back, his voice obviously alarmed.

„What is it?" she wanted to know but already saw, what he had found. There was blood on the floor.

Someone had put a box over it, so it wouldn´t be spotted at once but it had leaked out. The officer removed the box and revealed a puddle of not quiet less blood. Next to it was a bloody handprint. O´Hara gasped when she saw that and even chief Vick lost some colour from her face. The hand was far too tall for Shawn´s hand so there was no question about who had been shot in here. Juliet lay a hand over her mouth.

„And here." the officer with the flashlight said and pointed into the corner. There they discovered Lassiter´s earwig, stumped and trashed for good.

„Spread out." chief Vick ordered. „Search the whole building. They must be here somewhere."

Juliet needed ten more seconds before she found herself able to move out with them. Please, she begged in silence. Let them be alive.

...

It was dark in the tunnel. A frosty draft was blowing and made the little hairs on the arm standing up. It was clear that this place was not quiet drawn on the maps of the civil engineering department. The old construction of the walls proved that as well as the wet floor that had big holes, full of dirty water every second step. Seven men were now passing through that tunnel, two of them stumbling, one of them worse than the other, because he was badly injured and his supporter couldn´t even see his own steps very good.

„Hurry." one of the five armed men demanded.

„I do my best." Shawn responded and tried to drag Lassiter along faster. Therefore he pulled him the wrong way and the detective cried out in pain, when his wound spilled out another gush of blood, darkening his before grey jacket even more. Shawn gritted his teeth and inhaled with a fizzing sound. Lassiter had been hit in the right shoulder, right in the moment when he had swirled around to shoot at the attackers. The half finished turn had probably saved him from a heart shot, because that way the bullet had gotten him in another angle than it would have if he had faced the shooter directly. It didn´t help. The wound had bled like hell and Shawn guessed that the only reason why Lassiter wasn´t unconscious by now was because he had pressed his left hand on the wound immediately by pure instinct. The blood had trickled down his arm like a waterfall, leaving a big puddle on the floor of the little room, this man had lured them in. Shawn had thought Lassiter would bleed out right there and then. But he hadn´t. Why, Shawn couldn´t tell.

He cursed in silence while he tried to walk Lassiter without causing him too much pain. Damn what a mess. He should have known that something was wrong. A stranger slash possible suspect leading them into a dark hidden room, away from public sight? Hello! Beware! Trap! Why didn´t he foresee it? Now Lassie was shot and he was probably next. The only reason why they didn´t already kill them back there, was because they guessed that someone was coming for them and they couldn´t afford to have two heavy bodies lying around in their closet while the police was paying a visit. Shawn guessed they would do a nice trip down to the docks next.

Lassiter stumbled again and almost dragged him down with him. Shawn groaned and grabbed him tighter to get him back to his feet. Lassiter hold his breath to not to cry out again but the groan came anyway.

„He needs medical care." Shawn cried at their kidnappers slash soon-to-be-murderers and realized very well how ridiculous that must sound.

„If you don´t want me to shoot him right here, you´ll carry him." Pepe, the one who had shot Lassiter in the first place, demanded.

Shawn groaned. Next to him Lassiter managed it to walk on his own again and even a little faster but it was obvious that he was in a bad shape. Shawn had no idea how much blood he had lost by now or how much more he would be able to stand before fainting. He had pressed his hand against the wound, but he could only cover the front side. The bullet had come out on his back again and that one bleed as well. Gratefully no bone seemed to be hit not to mention an arterie. As strange as it might sound, but Lassie had been lucky. The only question was, if this luck would last.

While they were walking, Shawn tried desperately to figure out what these men wanted and how he could convince them not to shoot them both. The shop-owner and leader of the group, who´s name was Diego something, had asked him for the guy who had his motorcycle in the garage next door. So Shawn assumed that they knew him. For some reason they seemed to have some disagreements with him, bad enough to not only shoot him but also innocent people who just had the bad luck to ask for him. But that at least was a clue. His dad had said, he didn´t know who was behind the attacks. Maybe it wasn´t only one who. Maybe there was a new band of rattlesnakes. Had they just found them? Had they really been so goddamn stupid to run into them straight ahead without noticing it? He couldn´t imagine that. That would be too much of bad luck. How could a story like that end anyway? With them being shot and disappeared in the desert or the bay, no evidence left that would lead to their killers? He shivered and dismissed the thought. Think positive, he told himself. Always believe that there is a way. Just think the bridge will be there, and it will be there, like good old Oddball always used to say. He knew there was a way to get those guys on his track. He only needed to know what they wanted.

They reached the end of the tunnel. It was another door. One of the guys opened it with a key that he took out of his pocket. When he bend down to find the keyhole Shawn could see his neck. There was no tattoo. So it couldn´t be a new rattlesnake gang they had dropped into. But they had something to do with the whole affair. They just had to. If they had some other problems with that guy that owned the motorcycle and wanted to kill them for something that had absolutely nothing to do with it, it would be a stupid and mean kind of coincidence. No, Shawn was sure, that they knew something. He might not be a real psychic but he was pretty good at taking guesses. Only that this time his and Lassie´s life would depend on that guess. But it was all he had right now. And without taking the risk, they would kill them anyway.

The door was open and they were forced into another room. After someone switched on the light, he saw that it was a cellar. They probably had connected the two cellars with each other to have a escape passageway in case of trouble. If the trouble they had expected was with the law or with other gangs, Shawn didn´t know and also didn´t care to know. He helped Lassiter sit down on the floor and the detective leaned his back against the wall, his eyes closed in pain and exhaustion.

„Okay, now let´s finish them." Pepe said impatiently and cocked his gun again.

„Wow, no. Wait." Shawn cried and stepped halfway between Lassiter and Pepe. „You can´t do that."

„Then watch."

„Its not us you want." Shawn started his try and put his hand to his temple. „I sense that you are after someone else. Someone …" he shut his eyes as if the process of getting the information out of his brain would cause him pain.

„What do you mean, you sense?" Pepe demanded to know.

„He says he is a psychic." Diego explained. „I thought he was just making it up to fool me."

„He did." Pepe agreed. „Let me get rid of them."

But Diego was watching Shawn´s expression very closely and demanded Pepe to wait. He stepped closer to Shawn, examining him, looking for anything that would prove his suspicion that he had lied to him. Shawn didn´t open his eyes. He just went on, gasping and flinching as if he felt stitches of pain inside of his head.

„I … I sense something … dark … and cold …" he said. „Oh god!" he then cried out and bowed down and groaned loudly as if something had just hit him. „Its a snake!" he yelled like someone with a snake-phobie.

Diego´s eyes became wide and even Pepe reacted surprised. Lassiter who had opened his eyes when Shawn had started his act, took their reaction in and understood what Shawn tried to do. He only hoped he wouldn´t stumble over, or worse, on him by doing this act. Because he truly had closed his eyes the whole time and he bowed down and trembled very close to him. If he would lose his balance he would probably land right on him and that was something Lassiter´s shoulder wouldn´t be able to stand.

„Yeah, its a snake!" Shawn repeated. „A black snake in the grass. Its a snake in the garden of Eden." He shivered. „No! Not just one. Oh my god, there is a whole bunch of them. Four, five, six, seven snakes. They are invading the garden. God, don´t let this happen!" He flinched and then skipped back as if to avoid something. Lassiter flinched when he thought now Shawn would slip and hit him, but he somehow managed it to avoid his feet and passed him, to duck in the corner next to the door. „Fire!" he yelled. „There is fire." He covered his head with his armes in an act of selfprotection before that invisible fire but only for a few seconds. Then he looked up and searched the room with his eyes. He didn´t look at the men though. He still pretended to see something else. Then he stood up and looked around as if he was searching or examining the ground for something that lay there. Something only he could see.

„They are dead." he mumbled. „The snakes are dead." he laughed released but looked fearful again the next second. „No, not all of them. But most of them. Someone killed them. The wrath of God killed the snakes." He halted and frowned. „No, not God." he corrected himself. „It was Adam. Adam killed the snakes. He burned them. But he overlooked one. Oh, my God!" He grabbed his own face as if his skin and eyes were hurting. „Its hot!" he yelled. „Its dark! Lassie!"

With that he fell on his hands and knees right next to Lassiter, who still didn´t know what to think about all this. He had gotten the references of course. The burned rattlesnakes and Adam Demski. But what was Spencer hoping to win with that act? And what did he expect him to do now, for gods sake?

„I try to make you indispensable." he whispered at him as if he had read his mind. He was still shaking his head as if in great pain. Louder he cried: „Help me, Lassie! I can´t see!"

Lassiter who felt that he had no choice anymore, threw a brief look at their kidnappers and then shifted his weight a little so he could face Shawn better. He lay a hand on his shoulder as if he would try to get his attention and Shawn looked up, his eyes still far far away, his face grimacing with pain and fear. Lassiter shivered a litte at this sight. It was pretty convincing. If he hadn´t known that it was an act, he would have believed it himself.

„Its all right, Shawn." he said in a comforting tone, realizing that this would be Guster´s part if he would be here. But Guster wasn´t here. He lay in a sickbed and was connected with a machine that watched his vital signs. It was him who was here, and Shawn was trying to keep him alive with this act. „Its all right." he repeated. „I´m here. Listen to my voice, Shawn. Follow my voice. Come back out of it."

Shawn convulsed and then opened his eyes looking around confused. Then he just fell back and leaned against the wall, breathing heavily. If Lassiter hadn´t known better, he had almost believed he also saw sweat on his forehead.

„What was that?" Diego demanded to know.

Lassiter looked up at him and hesitated. He threw a look at Shawn but he would obviously not answer that question himself. So he said: „Sometimes his visions can get so strong … that he is in danger of losing … the … contact to our dimension. Reality. He would get lost in the vision and then he needs a … familiar person … to call him back."

„He is my soulcatcher." Shawn agreed and blindly reached out a hand for Lassiter. „Like in the old Indian legend. When the warrior is dying and his soul leaves his body …"

„The shaman catches the soul with a talisman, to bring it back into the body." Diego finished the sentence for him, obviously impressed by the fact that Shawn knew about that legend. He nodded. „All right." he said. „You are a psychic. What you saw is true. Six of the snakes are dead. But one is left."

„Wait, I get something else." Shawn said. „He was one of yours, wasn´t he? But he violated your rules. The holy rules of the Santeria."

„He is a traitor to all he once believed in." Diego hissed.

„That is why you want to punish him." Shawn understood.

Diego nodded. „Could you bring us to the last snake?" he asked.

Shawn hesitated. „If you bring me on the way, I might find his track." he finally said. „His spiritual sent." He looked at Diego with peering eyes. „But I need my friend with me." he demanded pointing at Lassiter. „And I need him bandaged."

Diego considered this for a moment. Pepe didn´t seem to like the idea but Diego was the boss and he decided otherwise. Eventually he nodded. „All right." he said. „But hurry."

He nodded at one of his men and he went away to return after a moment with a first aid box. He handed it to Diego who threw it to Shawn with the demand, that if he wanted his friend´s wound bandaged, he had to do it himself. So Shawn reluctantly went to work on that task himself. He helped Lassiter to put out his jacket, what was of course rather painful for him. Again and again Lassiter cried out in pain, desperately trying not to and failing. Diego got a bottle of Tequila out of a cupboard and handed it to him.

„Against the pain." he said.

Lassiter gave him a look as if he would rather kill Diego than taking anything from him. But he took the bottle anyway. He opened it and took a deep sip which he swallowed with is eyes closed. Shawn had never expected to see Lassie drinking that way. Not that he´d never seen him drunk, but there he had drunk from glasses like a civilized person. That was something you saw people do in a film but never in real life. Man, that was weird.

After the torture with the jacket he didn´t bother trying to get Lassiter´s arm out of the sleeve of his shirt anymore but just ripped open the fabric. First the wound was covered with too much blood to see the hole clearly. Shawn took a cloth and wiped it away so he could see better. Lassiter hissed and quickly took another sip from the bottle. When Shawn could see the bullet hole, he took another piece of cloth and prepared to bandage it. But before he actually started he halted.

„What are you waiting for, Spencer?" Lassiter groaned.

Shawn hesitated. Then he asked him: „Do you remember the first time we met?"

Lassiter looked at him completely confused. „What?" he asked in a high pitching voice.

„You thought I was a suspect and tried to arrest me." Shawn recalled and wiped the wound again, what made Lassiter hiss again. „You threatened me to put me in jail. You almost did. That was the first and only time you came that close to that. Remember?"

„Sweet justice, yeah." Lassiter growled through gritted teeth. „I do remember."

„That was always your dream, wasn´t it? To put me in a cell."

„You bet it was."

„And on that day you almost did." he repeated.

„Spencer. Where in the name of sweet justice are you going with that?" Lassiter demanded to know.

„I want you to focus on that memory now." Shawn said.

„Why?"

„Cause I´m gonna do that now." Shawn said, took the bottle from Lassiter´s hand and spilled a big stream of alcohol over the wound. Lassiter screamed out loud, his eyes wide in agonizing pain. A second later he looked at Shawn with fury and his fist found the way to his face almost on its own.

...

Back in the shop the combing through the building had revealed nothing. No one was there save the young woman that had greeted Juliet when she had come in. But she knew she had heard Carlton and Shawn talk to a man before. They had not left the building, their men outside would have noticed that and there was no back door. So where the hell were they? Juliet just hoped that the fact that they hadn´t found their bodies in one of those rooms, meant furthermore that they were still alive, even if they didn´t know where they were.

How could they just disappear? Was there a secret exit they hadn´t seen? But even if there was, the officers had watched the streets around that building, even the little alley, where the trash was stored. They didn´t use any of them. That was strange and definitely didn´t support her efforts to calm down again. This whole case had been a strange one from the beginning, but now it started to get really creepy. They couldn´t have disappeared into thin air.

She went back into the shop, where the young woman, her name was Maria Sanchez, was hold. „I want to know, where they are." Juliet demanded.

Maria shook her head and started to talk in Spanish. _`I don´t know what you mean´_, she said in her own language but much faster than necessary, probably because she hoped that Juliet wouldn´t understand it. When Juliet answered her in Spanish as well, her eyes became wide in surprise for a moment. _`You know exactly what I´m talking about´_, Juliet told her.

„No, I not." Maria replied now back to English.

„Don´t make me angry, Maria." Juliet said. „Two men came in here barely half an hour ago. One of them was a police officer. You know how serious we take it when one of us gets threatened."

When Maria still didn´t say anything, Juliet leaned closer to her, so she was face to face with her. „They are my friends." she told her. „You better tell me what I want to know and you should pray that they are still alive when we find them. Otherwise I´m going to make your life a living hell, got me?"

Maria´s eyes blinked rapidly. O´Hara had truly frightened her, chief Vick noticed with some positive awe.

„Dere is door." Maria finally told them. „In de cellar. Is hidden behind a shelf. Behind it dere is tunnel. Dere dey gone."

„Everybody." Vick radioed immediately. „Check the cellar. There has to be a hidden tunnel. Our men vanished in there. I want all men in pursuit. Go."

...

Lassiter leaned back against the wall. He was exhausted. Not that he didn´t know how to stand pain but the dilettantish and undeveloped skills of Spencer when it came to tourniquets were a little more than just pain. If the Santerias had tried to torture him for information it had been less painful he guessed. Thanks god it was over.

Spencer sat down next to him, almost as done as he felt himself. There was the same layer of sweat on his forehead like it was all over Lassiter by now and he breathed definitely more exhausted than he had a right to be. He had been the one who had tortured him after all. Then he turned his head to look at him and Lassiter could see the red mark his fist had left under Spencer´s eye. It was a little engorged.

„Well." Shawn said with a weak smirk. „I think we got this straight, didn´t we?"

Lassiter looked back at him, trying to stare him to death but then he couldn´t help himself and laughed. Shawn joined in. Two guys sitting on the floor, totally messed up in the best possible way – and they had done it, making all the reasonable efforts they had been able to – and laughing about it. Man, talking about weird things. Lassiter studied Spencer´s bruise. Considering his own condition he had gotten him pretty good. And damn it had felt good, hadn´t it?

„Thanks, Spencer." he managed to say, meaning mostly the opportunity to punch him but leaving it to him how he wanted to take it. Shawn nodded with a half grin. If Lassiter had had to guess, he´d said that Spencer understood the double meaning of his words.

„Are you done now?" Diego asked.

„Almost." Shawn replied. „The only thing left is a nice cup of ice tea. With fruit pieces in it if possible. Yeah, that would be good now." He looked at Lassiter as if to ask his opinion and the detective nodded his agreement. Must be the alcohol, he figured.

Instead of leaving the room to get the desired drink, Diego took Shawn at the arm and forced him to stand up. He prepared to do the same with Lassiter and the detective instinctively skipped back, knowing what pain it would cause him to be forced up like that. Instead he stood up on his own, using the wall behind him as support. One of the men threw him a shirt that was not soaked with blood so he could dress. Shawn wanted to help him get his hurt arm into the sleeve but Lassiter gave him a look that made him halt.

„Don´t you dare to touch me again." he hissed. „You helped me enough."

When he had managed it to get dressed, they left the room. Only a few minutes later, the door that led into the tunnel, was broken and a handful of cops ran in. The only thing they found were Lassiter´s blood soaked clothes and the remains of Shawn´s first aid on him.


	11. Following The Tracks

**Following the tracks**

They rode in a white van. The streets were rushing by pretty fast but Shawn had been able to catch up on the fact that they were heading for Midtown. Diego and his men seemed to be well prepared. And they also seemed to know very well where they wanted to go. Shawn threw a look at Lassiter. The detective had tried to keep his eyes open for a while but eventually he had given that up. And now his head was leaning back on the headrest, occasionally rolling right or left, whenever the van took a turn. Shawn felt a stitch of guilt. It had been his damn idea to go to that stupid Santeria shop. If he could have kept his mouth shut, things might have gone differently. What was that? Did he have a strike of bad luck or something? How else could he explain all that damage that had happened over the last few days? Was that what they called the sins of the father? Was it getting him now? Was he punished for what his dad had done twenty-fife years ago?

Shawn tried to get those thoughts out of his head. That was stupid. Such things as faith and sins of the father that were punished on their sons didn´t exist. Was he channelling these Santeria guys? It surely had to be so. Where else did this crap come from? He looked at Lassiter again and felt an urge to gag. But he contained it. He had to stay focused if he wanted to be of any help for him. When he looked out of the window again, he noticed that they had slowed down. The driver was heading for a house along this street they were driving down now. A minute later they parked at the curb side.

„What are we doing here?" Shawn asked confused. „Is this your house?"

Next to him Lassiter had opened his eyes and squinting against the light, he looked out as well. He looked a little drowsy, like someone with a slight hangover.

„No." Diego said. „This is the place where we lost the track of the snake. We had the same idea as your police friend. Following the man with the motorcycle."

„He lives here?" Shawn asked and laughed. „Then you did know who it is."

„Yes, but he is not the snake." Diego told him. „When we came here, we had to learn that the motorcycle had been stolen from this place. It was a dead end."

Shawn threw a look at the house. It was neat and clean, even the grass was cut. The door of the garage was open, what told him the owner was home, probably working in there. For a moment the whole scenery reminded him of his dad´s home but he dismissed the thought. He had to focus. These guys wouldn´t wait forever. Then he spottet something in the garage. He shifted a little to see it better. His guess was right. It was the motorcycle.

„You didn´t lose the track." he said.

Diego and his friends looked at him confused. „What do you mean?" Pepe demanded to know.

Shawn looked at the garage again. If his eyes were still working after Lassiter´s ten points hit, he was pretty sure, that there was a plate on the motorcycle. But not a new one. It looked dirty and battered. If that bike had been stolen how could it be back home so fast? He had seen it two days ago rushing away from his father´s burning house and there had been no plates on it. Only the sticker that read the name of the garage in Downtown where the owner maintained it. As well as a faded sticker with the name of the Santeria shop. A thief would have thrown the plates away and not reinstalled them after finishing the job for what he wanted to use the stolen bike. So even if the owner would have managed it by some miracle to get his bike back a day after it had been stolen and even to get new plates within another day – what was highly impossible as Shawn knew from own experience – it would be new plates, not such old ones. No, he thought satisfied. This bike had not been stolen.

Of course that wasn´t what he told his new friends. Instead he lifted his hand to his temple and closed his eyes as if he would listen for something.

„I sense that the snake was here." he said. „Not long ago."

„Of course he was here." Diego said. „When he stole the bike."

„No." Shawn denied. „I see that he brought it back. What thief brings back what he has stolen?"

Lassiter frowned and looked over to the garage himself. So did Diego and the others. Shawn smiled. He had them.

„Your snake didn´t steel the bike." he said. „He borrowed it."

„Then this man lied to us." Diego hissed angry and opened the door to get out. „He knows the snake."

The Santerias got out of their van and a moment later they dragged Shawn and Lassiter out as well. His feet had just touched the grass when Shawn saw that Pepe and one of the other guys were already in the garage. But obviously they found it empty. They immediately went to the front door and rang the bell. Like good and decent citizens.

The man who lived here – a guy of about thirty-two or so, with blond ruffled hair and a pair of glasses on his nose – opened the door in the moment when Shawn and Lassiter, escorted by Diego and his friends, caught up with them. He didn´t even got a chance to ask what was the matter, when Pepe had already shoved him back inside with his gun pointing at the poor guy´s nose. Diego and the others shoved Shawn and Lassiter behind and closed the door.

„What do you want from me?" the guy whined. „I don´t have any money." „But you have a motorcycle, Stevie." Diego replied.

When Stevie recognized him his fear increased. „Please." he begged. „I already told you, I don´t know who stole my bike. I´m sorry if he did something bad to you or your friends. Believe me, I wish I could do something for you. But it wasn´t me. It was the thief."

Diego took out a switchblade and without a word, hold it under Stevie´s chin. „You know who rode your bike that night." he said. „We know, you gave it to him. Who is it?"

„Please." Stevie whined and Diego pressed the knife deeper into the skin of his chin.

Lassiter made an instinctive move but the guy who stood next to him blocked his way.

„Dude." Shawn addressed Stevie. „You better tell them what they want to know. They are pretty serious."

While talking to poor Stevie, he spotted something. Stevie was wearing a little silver chain. The medallion was hanging out of his shirt. It was a symbol Shawn had already seen before. He checked his memory and found it incredibly easy. It was something that had been very popular back when he and Gus had been children. It was called a friendship-sealer. If you had a friend and wanted to give him something so you would stay friends even over great distances, you bought such a medallion (the little piece obviously had lost its popularity after the invention of facebook). It was formed like two hands holding each other for a handshake. You could separate them and then each friend would wear one of them. Shawn and Gus had laughed about how cheesy that idea was back then. But obviously not everybody had shared that opinion.

Now Shawn raised his hand again, looking at Stevie. „He is your friend." he said understanding the man´s position. „Isn´t he? And you want to protect him. I can understand that. I know how it is to have a friend like that. Someone you know almost your whole life. You care deeply for each other, even if you wouldn´t admit it most of the time. You say it far too seldom."

For a moment Shawn found himself lost in his own words. He didn´t notice the confused faces of the Santerias that looked at him, nor the empathic glance Lassiter gave him. When he finally realized that he had started to hesitate, he quickly went on.

„Does he care for you the same way you care for him?" he asked Stevie.

Stevie looked at him kind of shocked for a moment. Diego had released his throat while Shawn had talked. He seemed amazed as well, but mostly he was waiting for Shawn to make Stevie talk. And then he did. Stevie nodded.

„Yeah." he said. „He does care."

Shawn mirrored the nod. „I know." he said. „And I also know, that he doesn´t want you to be in danger because of him."

Diego seemed to agree and took Stevie at his neck to shove him over to the phone.

„You will call your friend." he demanded. „Tell him to come here."

„No." Stevie cried desperately and immediately Diego put the knife back at him, this time at his throat holding him from behind.

„You better don´t push me." he hissed into the small man´s ear.

„I can´t call him." Stevie tried to explain. „He won´t come."

„If he really cares for his friend´s life, he better comes." Diego replied.

Shawn felt an urge to jump, but made himself stand still. He didn´t know what to say. Next to him, Lassiter got hold back by Pepe, who again pointed his gun enjoyably at Lassiter´s nose. If nothing happened very soon, there would be two catastrophes at once. Shawn was on the edge. Then he spotted a picture that was standing in a shelf behind the two men. It was framed and showed a boat. The name of the boat was Barbara Bay and it was obviously a fisherman boat.

„Wow!" he cried and raised his hand again. „Wait a sec." He listened again and then said: „He´s right. He won´t come. Because he can´t. I see that he is … surrounded. Surrounded by water. An island? No. A ship? No, its smaller than a ship. A boat. He is on a boat. Together with other men. He is working with them. Even if he could reach him there, he couldn´t come back."

Stevie looked at him shocked and very desperate about the reveal of his friends´ whereabouts.

„How can we find that boat?" Diego wanted to know.

„You can´t find a fishing boat when they are out on the sea." Lassiter told him. „You´ll have to wait until they are back."

„We can´t find them?" Diego echoed. „But we have a psychic with us. Tell me, psychic. Can you find the boat for us?"

He was still holding the knife at Stevie´s throat and the threat in that gesture was obvious. Shawn closed his eyes for a moment.

„I see a name." he said. „Babette? Barbie? No, Barbara. Barbara Bay. The name of the boat is Barbara Bay. If you would ask at the marina someone will be able to tell you where they are fishing."

Diego nodded. „That´s a start." he said. „And you are sure that the snake is on that boat?"

„Yes." Shawn said and looked into Stevie´s desperate eyes, what told him without any doubt that he was right. „I see him there."

„All right." Pepe said. „Then let´s go there."

„What about him?" the man next to Shawn asked with a gesture at Stevie. „Do we take him with us or what?"

„We already have two guys to watch." Pepe said. „We can´t carry around every guy we run into."

„So what do we do?" the first man asked.

To answer that question Pepe took his gun away from Lassiter and cocked it.

„No!" Shawn cried and blocked Pepe´s way. He laughed nervously. „That´s not necessary." he said and then turned to Diego, cause he was the one he had to convince. He was still holding Stevie but at least he had lowered the knife. A good sign.

„He is not the snake." Shawn argued. „He is an innocent bystander. To kill him is not the right thing to do. It would violate your mission. Right? Besides. You can just bind him and lock him away. He won´t tell anyone. Before anyone finds him, I found you your boat."

„The risk is to high." Pepe argued against it. „If he can free himself or something, the cops are on our ass."

„The police is already on your ass." Lassiter chipped in. „Think about it. So far you haven´t killed anyone."

„We can´t leave him." Pepe went on as if he hadn´t heard Lassiter´s words.

Diego looked at Lassiter and then at Shawn. „He is right." he said, meaning Pepe not Lassiter.

„All right." Shawn said. „We can´t leave him, then we take him with us. Don´t worry, dude. Everything will be fine." he told poor, scared Stevie and then addressed Diego again. „I´ll watch him." he promised. „He won´t make any tr …"

But in that moment, Diego had already slit Stevie´s throat. The blood that shot out of the wound stroke Shawn´s cheeks and made him freeze in shock. Diego threw Stevie to the ground, where he choked and convulsed for what seemed like an eternity before he finally lay still, a big puddle of blood was wandering beneath him, slowly getting bigger.

Shawn´s legs began to shake and when he tried to step back he trembled and fell down hard. Did this really just happen? That was impossible. He had just talked to the guy a few seconds ago. It couldn´t be real. His heart was beating so hard that it was the only thing he could hear, save his own fast breathing. His forehead felt hot and the room started to spin around him. His throat felt as if he was choking on something that was far too big for him. What did just happen here? The only thing he could see was Stevie who lay in his own blood not more than three feet from him. The only thing he could feel was the same blood on his face, that was running down his cheeks in little streams. He knew that Diego and the others were talking but he couldn´t make out the words. They were too far away from him.

Then somebody touched his arm gently and said something that sounded like: „Come on, Spencer. Get up."

He felt that the hand tried to lift him up and he instinctively went with the motion and came to his feet. When he stood it felt as if he was at least one meter over his usual eye-level. He was still dizzy. Someone threw him a piece of cloth. He had no idea how he caught it but he did. It was suddenly in his hands.

„Clean your face." a rougher voice than the one, that had told him to get up, demanded. Shawn looked at the cloth and did what he had been told. Afterwards the beige tablecloth was speckled with red. The hand on his arm gently dragged him along and somehow he found himself back in the van, while the street was rushing by outside of the window.

...

Henry walked up and down in his cell. He had done so since he had been brought here. Even when he had tried to sit down he hadn´t been able to keep himself there. He had jumped up not more than ten seconds later, to go on walking in this little circles. Damn he was not supposte to be here while Shawn was running into his own possible death out there. _He_ was supposte to be the one who was putting his life in danger to catch those crazy people. Not Shawn. It was _his_ fault that the whole thing even started. And now Gus was in hospital and Shawn in mortal danger.

When McNab had told him about the decision that had been made, he had yelled so long at the poor startled man until he had put him Karen Vick on the line, so he could go on yelling at her. But of course Karen hadn´t allowed him to impress her with his yelling. She had simply stated, what already had been decided and then told him that there was nothing he could do about it. That it had been Shawn´s own decision and that she would never have agreed, if she had seen another way. But that was easy for her to say. It wasn´t her son. Henry looked at his wrist only to notice for the twentieth time that they had taken his watch away. Damn. How long had it been since he had spoken to Karen? How long was Shawn out there now? They at least could keep him informed.

Outside he heard the phone ringing. McNab answered it and Henry did his best to understand his words. It was not easy to make out what the young officer was saying, but even more important than his words, was the tone of his voice. On a certain part of the talk McNab´s voice raised in what Henry assumed to be worry and then it dropped and that was not a good sign.

„McNab!" Henry yelled after he was sure the talk was over.

Only ten seconds later the young officer came running down the stairs and rushed to his cell, like a scared cadet that was called to the trainer.

„What was that about?" Henry demanded to know and when McNab hesitated to answer him, he yelled the question into his face. But this time instead of reacting shocked, McNab only looked sad. That was all Henry needed to lose all his blood pressure. „No." he said, trembling back. „No, don´t say it."

„No." McNab cried when he realized what Henry was thinking. „No, they just … don´t know where they are."

„What the hell does that mean?" Henry snapped. „Buzz. What happened?"

McNab explained it and Henry´s thoughts started to run. Shawn was missing. There had been blood but most likely from Lassiter. And Shawn was missing. They hadn´t killed either Shawn or Lassiter, that meant they still needed them for something. That bought them some time. But they were still missing. The way he knew Shawn, he would try to talk himself out of the situation but he also knew the people that had him and this time his fast mouth would probably cause him more trouble than any good. Shawn was missing. Damn, there had to be something he could do.

„Let me help." he begged Buzz and the young officer looked startled at this sudden change in Henry´s voice.

„How could you?" he asked.

„Give me what you have." Henry said. „The information, the evidence. I don´t care. Buzz, I know these people. Maybe I see something that Vick and her men would overlook." McNab hesitated. He probably mused if he was allowed to make this call on his own.

„This is my son, we´re talking about." Henry urged him.

That finally broke the spell that was holding McNab on his place. The young officer left and after a minute he returned with a print. On that paper was a short summary of all the information that had been gathered so far. Henry read it and asked Buzz about some details from time to time. The young man tried to answer the questions as good as he could. He had monitored the actions that had led to Shawn´s and Lassiter´s disappearing, so he knew almost everything that was to be known. Eventually Henry recognized something. There was a name. The owner of that damn motorcycle, that had been used to set his house on fire. He had known that the name had sounded familiar from the beginning but he had needed time to put it in place.

„I need to talk to chief Vick." he said.

„Do you have it?" Buzz asked excited.

„I think I might have a clue." Henry answered. „Hurry. Get her on the line."

Buzz rushed to the phone and made the call. After he had the chief he handed Henry the receiver through the bars so he could talk to her. His eyes were open and waiting. He wouldn´t miss a single word of that conversation.

„Karen, its me." Henry said. „No, don´t say it, just listen. I might have a clue for you to find Shawn and Lassiter." he listened for a moment and then nodded satisfied. „Its the owner of the motorcycle. Stephen Masterson." he explained. „Yes, I know you investigated it but you couldn´t know who he is. I remember him from before, when he was still a kid. He was good friends with a boy named Antonio Deras. That was the son of a certain Danilo Deras. He was one of the Rattlesnake brotherhood that died in the fire. Or at least we thought he did. Hmhm, exactly. I suggest you go back there and ask this Stephen for his childhood friend Tony. He might know where he is."

...

The white transporter stopped near the guardrail that separated the parking lot from the sea that was five feet below. Diego and the driver got out first, Pepe and the others followed and at last they demanded Lassiter and Shawn to get out as well. Lassiter threw an uncomfortable look at Shawn. He had been silent the whole way – more than silent, catatonic was more like it – and he looked awfully pale. There was still some of the red on his cheeks, where he hadn´t been able to wipe it off completely. When he turned to the door to step out, Lassiter almost expected that his legs would give in and he would fall to the ground. But instead Shawn stepped out with almost stiff knees and made some weak steps toward the guardrail. It was in the moment when Lassiter´s own foot touched the ground, when Shawn rushed the rest of the way and then puked over the edge like a drunken sailor.

Diego and some of his men groaned in disgust and looked away until he was done. Now Shawn´s legs gave in and he sank down to his knees, holding onto the railing with one shaking hand. He still looked as if he was ready to puke some more.

„Get up!" Diego demanded from where he was and waved with his gun for Shawn to come. He didn´t react at all. When Diego was about to go and get him, Lassiter grabbed his arm and hold him back. One of the others grabbed him in reverse but he had stopped Diego for the moment. The Santeria looked at Lassiter as if he couldn´t believe he had really tried to touch him.

„You must want to die quickly." he said.

„Leave him alone." Lassiter demanded. „Its your own fault, that he is that way. You killed a man right in front of his eyes. What did you expect that would do to him? If you want him to lead you to your snake, you better let me talk to him." Diego hesitated. He looked over to Shawn who was still pale and holding his stomach and then he faced Lassiter again. Eventually he nodded.

„All right." he said. „Talk him down. But hurry."

The man that had grabbed him let go of Lassiter. The detective lay a hand on his aching shoulder and then walked over to Shawn. Right in the moment when he reached him, another convulsion ran through the fake psychic and he puked again. Not as much as before but it splashed at the concrete with a sloshing sound. Lassiter jumped back and almost managed it to avoid the stream. He grimaced. Damn, what a mess.

He looked back at the men that were watching them and then turned back to Shawn. He went down on his haunches so he was face to face with him.

„Listen, Spencer." he said. „I know its not easy to see something like that for the first time. But you worked on so many murder cases and you´ve seen bodies on crime scenes before." Shawn just shook his head. He opened his mouth but didn´t say anything. His eyes were somewhere else, probably still back in the house and with the poor departed Stevie. Lassiter grabbed his shoulder and made him look at him. He knew it was a different thing to see a dead body and to stand right next to it when a person got murdered. He was definitely in a state of shock and usually he would belong into a hospital with that. But that was a luxury they didn´t have right now.

„Spencer!" he hissed urgently. „Put yourself together. If you don´t, our friends will become less friendly than I am." He saw a change in Shawn´s eyes. Not much but it was a start. „I know its hard." he went on a little more empathic. „But you have to look forward. If they get the impression that you are of no use for them any longer, you know what will happen. You saved my life with that act of yours. Now keep it up and save us both. O´Hara and the others will come and look for us. We have to buy some time."

Shawn´s eyes started to wander in an effort to think, to make his mind coming clear again. Finally he looked up at Lassiter with somewhat of gratefulness in his eyes and nodded. Lassiter mirrored the nod and asked him: „Can you stand up?"

„I think so." Shawn croaked. He had to clear his throat.

Lassiter got up first. Shawn grabbed the railing with one hand to do it likewise. Lassiter reached out a hand to offer support if necessary but Shawn eventually managed it to stand up on his own. On still shaking legs though.

„Finally." Diego stated. „Now let´s go."

Shawn made his first step and trembled. Lassiter grabbed his arm to save him from falling again.

„Its all right." Shawn said after a moment. „I can walk."

Lassiter nodded in a doubtful way but let go of his arm anyway. He knew how it felt to be forced to accept help if you didn´t want it. That was nothing he would ever want anyone to experience. Not even Spencer. But he remained ready to grab him again, in case he should have overestimated his strength after all. Together they joined the Santerias again and were led down to the water.

„I´m sorry." Shawn said quietly while they were walking.

He most likely was talking about his reaction and his own weakness, Lassiter mused. But in that situation it was probably the best not to talk about it any longer. He needed Shawn in a better shape than that. Plus he didn´t want to talk about it either.

So he just said: „You should be. You puked on my shoes."

Shawn threw a startled look down on Lassiter´s feet. For a moment he seemed to be uncertain. But then he met the detective´s eyes and a tiny, almost inaudible chuckle came out of his throat. Lassiter gave him a nod. That was a little better. Not much, but a little.

* * *

**Okay everybody. I just want to speak my sincerest apologies to every Santeria out there, if I should have insulted you or put anything wrong in my descriptions. The only reason why I took this religion for my story is an episode of Law and Order I once saw and that got stuck in my head. I don´t want to judge it or bring it into discredit or anything. I only use it the same way I use Psych and its characters. For the good of the story. No flames please (or curses for that matter).**

**And thanks for reading. Don´t forget that you can review what you read.**


	12. Over The Sea

**Over the Sea**

The harbor master´s office was not locked. Of course not, Lassiter thought grimly. Why should they lock their door? It was regular work time and they surely didn´t expect to be assaulted by evil voodoo worshippers. That thought alone was enough to make him think back to what happened in poor Stevie Masterson´s house and every idea of letting the man behind the desk know, what was going on, vanished back into his subconsciousness.

When they got in, the man looked up from his paperwork.

„Can I help you, gentlemen?" he asked.

„Yes, we are looking for a friend." Diego told him kindly.

The sweetest person in the world, Lassiter thought. What a difference. You would never guess that he was the one who coldblooded slit the throat of an innocent and helpless man, which´s only crime had been to be friends with the wrong guy. Or not the wrong guy. He didn´t know after all, if it was really Tony Deras who was the bad guy in this game. He didn´t know any of this anymore. Not for sure.

He tried to remember, where he had lost the track about that. Was it the moment when Stevie had died so unpleasantly? Or had it been when he had been shot himself? Or maybe already when he and Shawn had almost died in Henry Spencer´s house that went into a rushing forest fire on their tails. But maybe it had happened not half as long ago and it was the moment right before they went in here. Outside when Shawn had puked on his shoes because of the shock that still had him in its grip and that still made him shiver. He still looked pale and the red mark Lassiter´s fist had produced down in the cellar, was much more intensive than before. Lassiter had never expected that this could ever happen in his life, but he felt actually sorry for punching him.

„He works on a boat called Barbara Bay." Diego now told the harbor master. „Can you tell us where it is?"

The man looked through his papers for a moment until he had found the name.

„I´m sorry, but the Barbara Bay left the bay yesterday at seven p.m. They won´t be back until Monday."

„They leave the harbor that late?" Diego asked confused. „Isn´t that very unusual? I always thought boats leave with the first sunbeam." He smiled amused at the harbor master and his smile was returned.

„As far as I know they are fishing for crabs and prawns. Night work as well as day work." he explained. „And there is no rule when a boat has to leave and when it has to stay. We don´t own the boats that lie here. We just have to book them and the captain signed out regularly. That´s all that concernes us. Is there a problem?"

„No." Diego assured him, smiling wide. „Our friend just forgot to tell us that he leaves. We wanted to go for a trip together."

Yeah, a trip to the other end of the docks, Lassiter thought to himself.

„Well, I guess that will have to wait now." the harbor master said. „Or you do it without him."

„No." Diego replied still smiling. „Without him it doesn´t make much sense." He turned around as if to leave but then turned back to the man again. „You don´t happen to know where they are fishing, do you?" he asked.

The man gave him a very startled look, that was already answer enough on its own. „How could I?" he asked. „We don´t have satellite transmissions to watch them or something. This is not the army. Or … the navy. I think Navy is the right department. With the ships and all."

„It was just a question." Diego shrugged. „Thank you very much." And with that he finally left the office.

Lassiter exhaled in relief. At least Diego had not decided again that letting this man live was too risky.

„Well, looks like your hunt is over, Vito." Shawn said when they stopped outside. „Now you can´t do anything but wait."

Lassiter choked down the urge to grunt. Shut up, Spencer, he thought. Don´t give them the idea that they don´t need us anymore. Sometimes he wondered if Spencer ever thought about what he was saying. But then he remembered his act in the cellar and revised the question. Of course he did. He had managed to deceive people for years that he was a psychic. He hadn´t been able to do that if he didn´t know what he was doing. At least part time. But right now he was in a bad shape and maybe his present condition had infected his mind a little. Not too much, Lassiter hoped. If he said anything more stupid, their chances of surviving would drop rapidly.

Diego looked over the harbor, thoughtful and to Lassiter´s great relief not offended by Shawn´s words. „I´m not so sure about that." he said and looked at a startled Shawn.

Lassiter felt his guts tense as well. What was that guy up to? He planted himself right in front of Shawn, looking down on him with peeking eyes, the way Lassiter used to do it to scare some reasoning into the fake psychic. Only when he did it, Spencer never was afraid. Quiet the contrary, it seemed to amuse and delight him when Lassiter did this. Now that Lassiter saw Shawn flinch under Diego´s stare, he had the crazy idea – crazy because he got it in the worst possible moment – that Shawn might even provoke him to do things like that and that he had walked right into his trap all these years without noticing it. Like parents that never realized how they were controlled by the crying of their children.

„You will lead us to the boat, psychic." Diego said now.

Shawn´s eyes rushed back and forth for a moment. Then he laughed out nervously. „That´s a joke, right?" he said. „I said I´m a psychic, not Jesus. If you didn´t notice there is a little bit of water between us and the boat."

„That´s not a problem." Diego assured him. „We´ll borrow a boat."

„You mean steal it."

„Just answer my question." Diego demanded. „Can you lead us to the boat with your powers?"

Shawn smiled humorless. „Well under different circumstances I would be delighted by the fact that you called my psychic gift powers. But this time its not me who misjudged reality with a comic book. This is actually quiet funny, isn´t it, Lassie? But unfortunately my head is no computer tracker that can be switched on and off to track some lost car-keys."

„What a pity." Diego said.

„Yeah." Shawn agreed staring at Diego the same way he stared at him. He didn´t even seem to notice the threat that underlined Diego´s words.

„Crap." Lassiter interrupted angry. The both of them turned to him in surprise.

„What?" Shawn asked confused.

Lassiter stepped closer to the two men. He threw a brief look at Diego and then faced Shawn.

„Don´t underestimate your own skills." he said seriously. With that he turned to Diego and told him: „He can find the boat."

„No, I can´t." Shawn objected. „Lassie, what are you doing? You are supposte to be on my side." „I am, Spencer." Lassiter said. „And that´s why I can´t allow you to deny this request."

„I can´t track a boat that is out at the sea." Shawn insisted. „I´m not a radar."

„You are."

„No, I´m …" Shawn lowered his head for a second to calm himself down. „I´m not." he finished his sentence in a hissing tone.

Lassiter grabbed his shoulder and instantly Shawn raised his arm to fend him off. „Don´t touch me!" he hissed but Lassiter grabbed him nevertheless. He pulled him closer until he had no chance to avoid his gaze anymore.

„You brought us that far." he hissed back at him with an adamantine look in his eyes. „Now finish what you started, psychic. Cause if you don´t …" He just gave him the fitting look without saying it. He didn´t need to say what would happen then.

„Your friend is very thoughtful." Diego said. „You should listen to him."

Shawn didn´t look at Diego. He was still fixed on Lassiter´s staring eyes, what for the first time in his life, really made him duck down. He definitely tried to tell him something, but he still hadn´t gotten his drift.

„I can´t track that boat." he whispered almost desperately.

Lassiter nodded but not in agreement but in an encouraging way. „You can." he said and finally released him. He didn´t look away from him though and then finally Shawn understood. It was so obvious now and the sudden realisation almost made him laugh out loud in relief. But he was able to contain it. With his new found confidence he turned around to face Diego again.

„He´s right." he said. „I can find the boat."

...

Chief Vick knocked at the door of the house in the Neibolt Street in Midtown. „S.B.P.D." she cried. „Please open the door."

No one answered. She turned around and gave O´Hara a nod. The young detective and some other officers went around the house to check the surroundings. O´Hara halted at a window and peeked in. Vick watched the door and her the same time until she noticed that O´Hara´s eyes widened.

„Body!" she cried.

Chief Vick nodded and stepped back. She gave the officer with the ram a signal and five seconds later the door flew open with a high cracking sound. Officers went in with their guns raised. Chief Vick and O´Hara followed them in side by side.

„Save!" the men reported from different parts of the house but chief Vick had not really expected anyone to be here. Not anymore. She put her weapon down and went over to the dead body. The man lay face down in a big puddle of blood. Her first thought was: Shawn. A look in O´Hara´s face told her that she wasn´t alone with that fear. She went down to her knees and bowed her head to have a look at the man´s face without touching the body. When she learned it wasn´t Shawn she relaxed. When O´Hara saw that, she closed her eyes in gratefulness for a second.

„I guess that´s Stephen Masterson." Vick said.

„Then they were here." O´Hara stated. „And didn´t find what they came for." Vick agreed. She stood up and had to face the fact that her legs were shaking a little. With a brief inner rebuke, she made her legs stand strong again. That was not a way for a chief to react. She turned to the officer that had secured the door.

„Bring Henry Spencer in." she ordered.

The man vanished and soon after that he returned with Henry. Karen, who had used the time to put on some rubber cloves, immediately raised both her hands when Henry´s gaze fell on the body. „Don´t worry." she said. „That´s Stephen Masterson. Or so we assume."

Henry seemed to relax but only a little. The sight was cruel no matter who it was. And the fact that the track to his son was marked with dead bodies was not very encouraging either. Karen bowed down again and now she turned the body around. Not only O´Hara flinched when the deep cut in the man´s throat came in sight. Karen looked away briefly and grunted.

„He was killed from behind." she stated. Then she looked up at Henry. „Is that Masterson?" she asked him for confirmation. „I know its been a while since you knew him, but …"

„It is him." Henry answered her question without any doubt. „He didn´t change a bit. He still looks like the boy he once was." Almost like Shawn, he added in silence but forced this thought away.

„Understand." Karen said and stood up again.

„Well, I guess they got what they came for." Henry said and cursed.

Vick and O´Hara exchanged a glance and understood that he was right. Her first assumption had been wrong. Of course there was no reason for them to believe that these people would only kill if they didn´t got what they wanted. But that also meant, that they were now on their way to find Antonio Deras and they had no idea where this might be. This house had been the last clue they had had. And with every second that went by the trace was getting colder and colder.

...

„Where to go now?" Diego asked.

Shawn threw a brief glance at Lassiter and then looked around demonstratively. There was water all around, the land was so tiny in the distance as if it wasn´t there anymore. For the last thirty minutes or so they had headed straight out to the open sea. The small motorboat they had stolen was only just big enough for them all to fit in there. At the first sight of that cockleshell Shawn had thought about an old Hitchcock film. Liveboat. But that was slightly inappropriate since they were on their way to kill someone. And the chances that every man in this boat would come back in it, wasn´t very big either. Say, he still expected that these guys would kill him and Lassiter after they finished what they came for. No witnesses. A look into Lassiter´s stern eyes told him, that he wasn´t the only one who thought about that possibility.

Now their host wanted him to tell him the right direction. He wanted him to lead him to the place where they would first kill their main target and after that, their helpful psychic and his companion.

Nice. Someone with only half a brain would think it would be the best just to refuse service or at least to lead them into the wrong direction. The thing was, that these people were very very very impatient and if they would get the impression that he tried to steal their precious time, they would just kill them right away and try to find the fisherman boat on their own. He, again, had no choice. He had to do what Diego wanted him to do.

As if he could look at the water like a reader of tracks would look to the ground and then tell them which boat had been here the day before. Ah, wolf. It was a funny idea that a boat could leave a drag mark in the water after it crossed it. But unfortunately it didn´t. The truth was, Shawn had no idea where he should lead them.

His big luck was that he wasn´t alone in this boat. And he at least knew one thing very well. He understood it to buy time. So he started to perform something for their friends to watch. He bowed over the edge and ran his hand through the water, with his eyes closed as if he would listen for something. He looked up into the sky, following some seagulls for a moment. Then he sniffed loudly, like a bloodhound that was looking for a scent. Again and again he glanced briefly over to Lassiter, who was busy studying the water himself. Eventually he looked at him again and immediately into a certain direction. That was the moment when Shawn cried out as if surprised.

„I got it." he said and then pointed into the direction Lassiter had just told him with his eyes. „That way."

„Are you certain?" Diego demanded to know.

Shawn looked at Lassiter to ask him the same question. Before Diego could wonder why he had exchanged this look with him, Shawn faced the Santeria again, as serious as death itself. „I am sure." he said.

If he would have been honest, he would have said, no. He wasn´t sure at all. But he could see in Lassiter´s eyes that he was at least eighty percent sure, so he trusted him. The man had been out fishing with his father once. So Shawn assumed that he knew a little more about the sea and fishing in general than he did. If they would survive that, he promised himself, he would ask him, how he could find the right way that damn boat had taken. Seriously. How the hell was he able to tell where they had to go?

But that wasn´t even the strangest thing about all of this. What was really hard for Shawn to believe, was the fact that he performed his fake psychic visions with Lassiter directing it. Never in his whole life he would have guessed that there would be a day, when Carlton Lassiter would help him fake his visions. He had always been the one who tried to prove that he was lying, to convince chief Vick and everybody that he, Shawn Spencer, was a charlatan. Never ever would this doubter support him with anything. That was at least what he always had believed. But it happened. Right now. He looked over to Lassiter and he was right there with him. Strange. Disturbing. But it also gave him a confidence that he needed so desperately in this moment. Especially now that everybody else he would usually rely on, seemed to be so much out of range. His dad was in prison, his friend in hospital and Jules had no idea where they were. Lassiter was the only one left. He wouldn´t let him down.

Shawn´s gaze wandered over the water. The boat beneath him pitched and tossed with the waves. It was a sunny day but it was almost over. He threw a look at his watch. It was quarter to seven. The sun would go down soon. Was there such a thing as lights on a small boat like that, he wondered.

Lassiter cleared his throat and made him look at him. He told him with his eyes to look over his right shoulder. Shawn did and saw nothing. But then he understood and told Diego to adjust the course. He had no idea what had given Lassiter that idea, but he had to trust him. What choice did he have anyway?

They went on with this slightly inconspicuous game until a boat appeared at the horizon. Shawn couldn´t believe it. He looked over to Lassiter, far too excited for a situation like that. He had to fight back the urge to hold out his fist for Lassiter, who he knew would never pump it, no matter what. But man, he really wanted to do it.

„What do we do now?" Pepe asked with his hand already on his gun.

„If we close in now, they will know something is wrong." Diego said. „We wait until tonight."

Shawn exchanged another glance with Lassiter. The detective´s blue eyes said the same thing that he already thought himself. This can´t be good.


	13. Showdown

**Showdown**

Night had settled down. The ocean was still and steady, except for the constant pitching and tossing of the natural and characteristic movement of the water. A cold wind had started to come up. It ruffled Shawn´s hair and slowly started to stitch into his ears. Even the Santerias had started to shiver a little. Lassiter didn´t look too good. He seemed weak, not just because of the cold. It had been hours since that guy Pepe had shot him and he had lost a lot of blood before Shawn had been able to bandage his wound. It seemed that this finally effected him. That he had made it that long without letting it show was remarkable. But everybody had a limit, even the great head detective Carlton Lassiter.

Shawn felt more helpless than ever before, realizing that. Until now he had had Lassiter as a support, a backup he could rely on. But now it seemed as if this last ace in his hand, was going down. He was almost afraid Lassiter would fall into the water all by himself, just because he wouldn´t be able to keep his balance any longer. Even though they were sitting but they were sitting in a small boat and at the edge of it.

„Its about time." Diego stated and the others immediately set the boat in motion, heading straight to the fisher boat that was lying peacefully on the water.

Shawn looked at Lassiter. His eyes were closed and for a dreadful moment Shawn was sure that he was already dead. In his fear he lay a hand on his arm. Lassiter jumped at the sudden touch and Shawn jumped when he jumped. His heart pounded heavily.

„Dammit, Spencer." Lassiter hissed.

„Sorry." Shawn whispered back. „I just wanted to let you know that the film starts in a few minutes. Didn´t want you to miss the best part of it."

„I knew what was going on all the time." Lassiter replied offended. „I didn´t sleep. I just rested my eyes for a moment. Collecting my strength." Gloomy he added: „As it seems, we´ll need it."

„You sure you´re gonna make it?" Shawn asked.

Lassiter looked briefly at their companions. „Yeah." he answered weak but determined.

They drove to the back of the fisher boat, where stairs led up to the deck. Pepe climbed out and affixed their boat with a rope. Diego signalled Shawn and Lassiter with his weapon to get out. With some struggle to keep his balance and a helping hand from Shawn, Lassiter managed it to get over to the bigger boat. At the lowest stair he had to rest though and leaned against the wall. Diego gave him as long as all his men needed to get out, what was somewhat about twenty seconds. Then he urged them to go on.

Up on the deck everything was quiet. No one was around, but there was light on inside of what they assumed to be the kitchen. There were muffled voices in there. Through a half open hatch they could hear a man or two snoring. So some of the men were sleeping under deck and the rest was in the kitchen drinking coffee and chatting.

„Pepe, take care of the men downstairs. We get those guys in there." Diego said.

„Wait." Lassiter cried silently. „What are you going to do?"

„We´ll find the last snake." Diego answered matter of factly. Then he nodded at his men. „Bring them all out here." he ordered and the men moved.

Diego himself remained with Shawn and Lassiter, never lowering his gun. The two men exchanged a glance. This wasn´t good and the worst part was they couldn´t do anything. They watched Diego´s men gathering the surprised and astonished fishermen on the deck of their own boat.

„Are you pirates?" one of them, probably the captain, asked. „We don´t have any value storage. We´re fishers."

„We know who you are." Pepe replied.

„Look at their necks." Diego demanded and his men did. Halfway through the line of fishermen they found their man and pushed him forward, out of the line of his colleagues. Diego smiled at the knowing expression on the man´s face.

„Lock the others downstairs." he ordered.

In that moment, when Pepe and the others started to chase the fishermen down under deck, the eyes of the rattlesnake met Shawn´s. He could tell that he recognized him instantly. A creep ran down his own spine as well. So that was the man. That was Tony Deras. The man that had tried to kill his dad and almost killed Gus and also him and Lassiter. Shawn had expected this meeting with him to be different. He had expected to see him in the role of the percecutor. Of the bad and evil killer. But instead he saw him in the role of a hostage of the same men that threatened him and Lassiter. Could this thing be even more weird than that? He should feel anger against this man but instead he was afraid that Diego might shoot him any second.

„What are you going to do now?" he dared to ask.

„We will punish this snake." Diego answered. „So he will be punished for his crimes."

„Oh. Hey." Shawn tried to sound amused. „If you want him to be punished you should give him to us. We can turn him in to the police. He´ll go to prison."

„Not this kind of punishment." Diego said with a slight chuckle. Pepe and one of his friends were back and after a brief signal from Diego they took Antonio and bound his hands with a rope. „We will punish this snake the way he deserves it, for he will feel the pain that hell itself will hold for him in eternity."

„What could _that_ be?" Shawn asked with a nervous smile.

„Burning guts." Diego answered sternly.

Another one of his men came out of the kitchen, dragging a welder behind. Diego nodded at Pepe and they dragged Antonio over to a bench were the fishermen used to slit open the fish. The man realized what was about to happen to him and struggled, making himself as heavy as he could so they wouldn´t be able to get him onto that improved rack.

„Wait." Shawn cried. „That is really not necessary." He raised his hand up to his head. „I´m getting something, right now." he said. „He isn´t the man you are looking for."

Diego raised his hand to stop his men. He looked at Shawn interested but skeptical. Pepe and the others stopped in their efforts and waited.

„What do you mean with that?" Diego demanded to know.

Shawn felt sweat coming up at his forehead. „I see what happened." he said. „Through the eyes of the percecutor. He is sneaking around a house. Someone is in there." He made stabbing motions with his hand. „Arrrg. He´s killing Demski. Demski was there, twenty-fife years ago. He set the house on fire where the rattlesnakes used to meet. His sister had been raped by one of theirs. The brother of a member of the rattlesnakes. When he found out about them, he made it to his own vendetta. He followed them and when he knew he had them all in one place, he decided to make sure, they couldn´t hurt anyone ever again.

But he wasn´t alone, like he wanted to be. Someone followed him. Another police officer. He had noticed strange things going on in that house, by following a suspect of his own. He reached that house and found it burning and a police officer Demski standing there and just watching. He confronted him and ask for an explanation. And that was the moment, when Demski didn´t notice, that one of his victims got out.

Yeah, I see it very clearly now. The man ran out of the house, his cloths burning while the two police officers were fighting. He somehow managed it to reach a lake and put himself out. He survived but he didn´t go back. He knew if he did, he would die too. The police man had convinced the other one to stay down. That the rattlesnake had been too dangerous and that it was the best what he had done. He would keep his mouth shut and Demski would vanish. But the surviver vanished too, changed his name to Danilo Alvarez and became invisible for everybody. Until today. A week ago he was arrested and was about to get transfered into a state prison to become the subject of an FBI investigation. There were things in his head that were not supposte to get out. Secrets. Family secrets. So his own son shot him before he could talk. Alvarez had told him so. _`Should I ever get caught, make sure that I cannot reveal our secrets, son. In that case it is up to you to revenge us and our brotherhood.´_

Oh yes, he had waited twenty-fife years. The international checks he faked were his effort to get into the databases he needed to find out were Demski was hiding. He was looking for him. All these years. And ironically his death was the reason why Demski finally showed up again. Finally the son had a chance to finish what his father had been working for for so long. He killed Demski. But that was only half of it. Because Demski apparently had a partner that knew everything. Who was maybe even involved in the killing of the brotherhood as well. So the son decided that his mission wasn´t over. He started to hunt this man too. He even threatened the life of his son to lure him out. And he almost got him. But the man he found on Henry´s boat the other day wasn´t Henry. It was just the caretaker of the marina, that happens to look a little like Henry. The killer´s mistake was it, that he had no idea of who the man was. He had never seen him closely. He killed the caretaker and left in good faith, believing that he finished the mission his father had wanted him to finish.

Only that the real Henry returned to his boat only a few minutes later. He found the body. But he knew the police was watching him, so he couldn´t go back. He took the most painful decision he could take and blew off his own boat in effort to fake his own death. The police was so distracted by the explosion that no one saw him swim back to land.

The son had taken revenge for his father. The only thing left to do was to make sure no one would ever take revenge on him later for Henry´s death. So he placed a bomb in the office of his son to blow him up. After that he decided to leave the city and vanish."

„Nice." Diego said, while Shawn faked a qualm after his vision. „Now we even have prove."

„Spencer, what the hell are you doing?" Lassiter hissed at him.

„No, you haven´t." Shawn cried when he realized his mistake. „This guy isn´t the man I was talking about."

Diego turned to him with a dangerously unamused face. „What?" he asked.

„There was another rattlesnake. He was the one who did all these things." Shawn claimed.

In that moment, Antonio lunged forward in a fury that was unexpected even for his captors. Pepe and the other man lost grip of him and he came down at Shawn. Had Diego not caught him, he might have ran Shawn over. The fake psychic ducked away and tried to hide behind Lassiter´s back.

„I´ll kill you!" Antonio yelled, while Diego pushed him back to Pepe. „There is no other rattlesnake. And that´s the fault of your father and his friend."

„Dude, I tried to save your life." Shawn cried startled. When he noticed Diego´s stare he flinched and raised his hand again. „I also sense that the coast guard is on the way here." he claimed. „So if you really want to kill that guy … the way you said, I doubt that you´ll have the time to do that here. We better should head back to land. There you can look for a nice little hidden place to … indulge in your … archaic and … very bloody execution ritual."

Diego aimed his weapon at Shawn. „That´s enough." he said. „You may have brought us here but I told you I know when someone is lying to me. You shouldn´t have tried to lie to me."

He cocked his gun. This time Lassiter stepped between Shawn and Diego on his own.

„I wouldn´t do that, if I were you." he said. „You surely know what stands for killing a psychic in the world of spirits." Diego hesitated. „I don´t think that you want to live with a haunt like that." Lassiter went on, holding Diego´s gaze sternly.

„Diego!" Pepe cried. „Shoot. He is lying."

„No, he is right." Diego argued thoughtfully and lowered his gun.

„Way to go, Lassie." Shawn cheered and padded Lassiter´s shoulder from behind. The detective flinched when his wound started to hurt again and Shawn flinched with him when he remembered the wound.

Meanwhile Diego was thinking. He didn´t intent to drop the subject. He only thought about a way out of this dilemma.

„We can´t afford to let them live." Pepe reminded him.

„I know." Diego replied.

The hand Shawn had lay on Lassiter´s good shoulder clawed painfully into his muscle now. Annoyed Lassiter shook it off. Diego looked around and his gaze remained at the water for a moment. Then he looked at Shawn and Lassiter again.

„We are quiet far from the land." he stated, talking more to Pepe than to them. „We just drop them here. If the cold doesn´t kill them the sharks will. That way we didn´t kill them. No mad ghosts haunting us."

„Wrong." Shawn cried. „_I_ will haunt you."

But instead of frightening him, he made Diego angry with that. When he saw his reaction Shawn flinched and ducked deeper behind Lassiter´s back. „Or will I?" he asked. „Maybe not. But I wouldn´t count on that."

„Come here." Diego demanded and grabbed Lassiter´s arm to turn him around. The detective avoided his grip with a trained move. Diego wasn´t impressed and just called for Pepe´s help. The bigger man grabbed Lassiter harder than his boss had done it and pushed him over to the railing. He was still struggling.

„Wait!" Shawn cried, when Diego dragged him along too. „That is not … not right."

Lassiter tried to grab Pepe´s gun and pushed himself away from the railing the same time. Pepe swirled him around and pushed him back easily. He had some hard time to keep his gun though. He pressed Lassiter against the railing. Then the shot rang put. Lassiter instantly stopped struggling and Pepe took his weapon away from him in an angry manner. Shawn felt how his breath got stuck in his throat.

„Over board with him." Diego demanded impatiently.

Lassiter withered, looking down at himself. Shawn could see the blood running down his leg. Then Pepe took Lassiter and lifted him over the railing. Like a bag of bones Lassiter fell and hit the water with a loud splash. Shawn hurried to the railing just in time to see him vanish.

„Go on." Diego told him. „Jump. Try to save him."

Now Shawn _was_ angry. But he had no time to increase that feeling. There was a decision to make. If he would deny to jump, they would possibly decide that they could risk to kill a psychic after all and Lassiter would drown – if he wasn´t dead already. If he jumped – even if he could find Lassiter alive – they would drown or freeze or be eaten by sharks before anyone even knew about what happened. And all that because he had tried to save the man who had tried to kill him and his family.

With a last look at Diego and Pepe, he turned around and jumped. The water was ice cold and for a moment he felt like everything in him had stopped working. Like a system that got shut down because of a short circuit. But after a few seconds the system was online again and he began to move against the cold. He came up with a loud inhale for air. When he looked back, up to the boat he saw Diego and Pepe looking down to him. They had still their weapon´s but Shawn didn´t think they would shoot.

That brought his mind back to Lassiter. Quickly he looked around. He had to find him and he had to find him fast. If he was still alive he would be effected by that cold water much more than he was, weak as he was. And then he spotted him. Drifting face down and motionless. Immediately he swam over to him, grabbing him and turning him around. Lassiter´s face was as pale as a water body and he felt as cold as one too. Shawn was scared.

„Lassie!" he cried. „No! Don´t do that to me. Not you too. Come on, wake up."

He shook him and slapped his face. He knew some CPR would be needed now, but how the hell was he supposte to do that in the water? He slapped him again. When Lassiter didn´t respond he turned him around and in his desperation he did the only thing that came to his mind right now. He wrapped his arms around his waist. He had heard that it worked when someone choked on something and it was the only thing left that he could think of. He clasped his hands together and pushed them into Lassiter´s solar plexus performing the Heimlich Manoeuvre, he had learned once when he had worked in a cafeteria for two months. Nothing happened. He did it again. Nothing.

„Come on, Lassie!" he cried and pushed again.

This time a squall of water came out of Lassiter´s mouth and then he started to cough. His whole body was shaking so hard that Shawn had to make sure his head wouldn´t go down under water again. Hell he had to be careful that Lassiter didn´t drag him under water with him.

„That´s good." he talked to him. „That´s great, buddy. Just keep breathing."

„Spencer!" Lassiter gasped between his coughs. „What h …" again he was shaken by coughs.

„You took a bath." Shawn explained and noticed for the first time that his voice had started to quaver because of the cold. „I thought I could join in." he went on nevertheless. „Why should you have all the fun for yourself?"

Lassiter didn´t reply. He just gave him a look and then coughed again. To their right the boats engine came to life. When they turned around they saw how the fisherman boat started to drive away slowly.

„HEY!" Shawn cried but of course he was ignored. Next to him Lassiter´s eyes dropped close and he began to sink down again. Shawn grabbed him just in time before his head was gone.

„Hey." he called him and slapped his face again. „Hey, Lassie. Don´t leave me, okay? Stay awake. You hear me?"

But this time Lassiter didn´t answer. He didn´t even cough anymore. Shawn was scared to death. What if he died? Right here in his arms. That was impossible. That was Lassie. He couldn´t just die. The fact that he himself wouldn´t survive very long either, didn´t even occur to him in that moment. Lassiter was still drifting in that state between life and death. He wasn´t dead yet but he was alarmingly close. Shawn wrapped his arms around him again and rested the detective´s head on his shoulder. It was the only thing he could think of to keep him over water. Though this position made it hard for Shawn to keep his own head over water. But he had no choice. If he let go of Lassiter he would be gone already. The detective was frightening limb, like a dead body.

„Now, come on." he cried his voice quavering. „You don´t want to miss the opportunity to survive me and to tell me that you told me so, do you?"

„I´d rather strangle you before I die." Lassiter replied in a very quiet and very weak voice that Shawn could only hear because he was so close to his ear. He chuckled released. At least he was still himself. As long as he threatened him with his life he was hanging on. Had he said something nice, Shawn would have believed that he was saying his goodbye.

„Now now, Lassie." he said chuckling. „Wha´ di´ you just say ´bout killing a psychic? You wanna be haunt´ by ghosts?"

„You a´ no psychic." Lassiter hissed back at him. „No need f´ me t´ worry ´bout that."

Shawn laughed. „I wouldn´t be s´ sure ´bout that." he said. „I c´d haunt you anyway. J´st for fun."

Lassiter coughed when a wave swapped over his face. „You ´lready do ´at, Spenc´." he said.

After that they driftet on this cold water in silence for a moment. Shawn found it hard to keep his eyes ope and the cold was starting to creep into his bones already. Lassiter was shaking. His breaths were shaking too. It almost sounded like sobbing. Maybe it was. For the first time Shawn realized that this could be their end. That they were dying out here. Right now. And this realisation made him feel it. He actually felt his body functions decreasing. More and more. Temperature, heartbeat, breathing, all of it falling down slowly but constantly. On his shoulder Lassiter´s head became heavier and he understood that he began to lose conciousness.

„Not, Lass´." he said pressing his teeth together against the cold. „Not fallin´ ´sleep."

„Why not." Lassiter whispered astoundingly clear. „We´re dying anyway."

„You don´know that." Shawn replied and chuckled desperately. „We could still …"

„What? Swim back t´ land?" Lassiter´s words came out mumbled.

„I … I dunno." Shawn sighed and now he started to sob. „I just …"

Lassiter didn´t give a response to that at once. Eventually he said: „I really expected it to be different, you know."

„Wha´didy´ exp´ct?" Shawn asked. „Shootout withyou alone ´gainst a doz´n criminals, taking halfofem withy´?"

He felt Lassiter shake when he started to laugh. „Exactly." he said.

Shawn chuckled too. But the short moment of waking up again, he had managed with this joke, was passed already. Lassiter´s eyes had dropped shut again and his head was heavy on Shawn´s shoulder. Shawn was about to say something to wake him up again, and again, and again if necessary, when he suddenly heard an engine. First he thought the fisherman boat would come back to get them back aboard after all, but that one was still heading away from them. He turned around to see where the sound came from and – god almighty, he couldn´t believe it – spotted at least three other ships that approached them very fast. At last a helicopter flew over them, a seeking light rushing over the water. Shawn started to wave and scream enthusiastically until they spotted them.

„See." he said. „I told y´ I´d bring us outahere."

„Damn, Spenc´." Lassiter hissed angrily now fully awake again. „Y´ knew they´d come all´ong? Why didn´ you … tell?"

Shawn chuckled but Lassiter´s weak condition and his own took the fun away from that opportunity. „I didn´." he admitted. „I had no idea."

Then the ship reached them and at least three men from the coast guard came down to get them out of that freezing water.

...

It was black. All around. But there were sounds. Beeping sounds. Steady beeping like from a … a … Oh god. Gus opened his eyes and saw his apprehension confirmed. It was his own heartbeat shown as a technical line, glowing green and impersonal like the close death it represented. It began to beep faster. Gus gasped. That wasn´t a good sign. He looked at the increasing speed of that beeping line and while he looked at it, it became even faster. He tried to cry out for help but his throat was too dry to do so.

A door was opened and someone stepped in. Thanks god, Gus thought. Help. But instead of a nurse it was Shawn who came into his vision, grinning widely when he noticed the display that talked about Gus´ close decease.

„Hey, buddy." he greeted. „I had no idea that you would be _that_ happy to see me."

„Sh …" Gus tried to say his name but didn´t get it out.

„Shit, yeah, that´s what I thought too." Shawn talked over him. „But hey. What can I say? It was my dad´s idea all along. Oh, yeah you don´t know yet. He´s alive. No, you didn´t dream it. He faked his death, but we arrested him. Yeah, I know but I had no choice. But the best thing comes now. Lassie and I went on a mission. Dude, we kicked their asses, I can tell you."

„Wa …"

„What happened? Dude, I don´t know exactly." Shawn went on talking, completely misunderstanding Gus´ pleading for some water. „After we were in that boat I really didn´t think that anyone could find us, but somehow they did. Guess I have to rethink my opinion on my dad´s detective skills. He saw the same picture that I saw and followed the same trace we did. Gosh, I hope that doesn´t mean, we have too much in common."

„Sh …" Gus tried again to say his name.

„Uh, guess who is here!" Shawn just went on without noticing it. „You´ll never guess. Try. No you´re right. How should you know. It´s Lassie."

„Lass …"

„Yeah. He´s right in the room next door. I just came from him. Don´t worry he still wants to kill me so everything´s cool. I can´t blame him. He caught two bullets for me, after all. He is a good boy."

The beeping increased one more time but this time not because of Gus being afraid. This time he was angry.

„Sha …wn." Gus finally managed it to get the name out.

Shawn raised both eyebrows. „Hm?" he asked and leaned in a little closer. „You must speak up, dude. I can´t understand a word. What did you say?"

Gus lips were moving but no sound came out. Shawn brought his ear closer to him anyway, just in case. He was determined to listen to what his friend wanted to tell him.

„What?" he asked. „What is it?"

Gus raised his hand and pointed at the water on the table. Shawn didn´t even see it. He was looking in the opposite direction in his effort to hold his ear close to Gus´ mouth. Gus tried to tell him to look at his goddamn hand but eventually gave it up and instead used his hand for something better. The slapping sound when his palm collided with Shawn´s cheek was so loud that the nurse that had just entered the room, flinched and dropped her clipboard.

The End

(for now at least)

* * *

**For all of you who are interested. There is a Sequel to this story. It´s called "Something To Shoot For" Look it up if you like. And if you liked this one, be so nice and leave a review. No matter how long ago I posted this. I´m always glad when people enjoyed it.**

**And thanks for reading. **


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